


The Game of Choice

by TheStoriesUntold



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abandonment, Aftermath of Torture, Amnesia, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Avengers Family, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Brain Damage, Broken Bones, Burns, Choking, Crying, Dehydration, Depressed Peter Parker, Depressing, Depression, Domestic Avengers, Drowning, Electrocution, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Needs A Hug, Explicit Language, Fear, Fear of Death, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Graphic Description, Gunshot Wounds, Hallucinations, Heartache, Heartbreak, Heavy Angst, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hypothermia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Infection, Insomnia, Insomniac Tony Stark, Internal Conflict, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, Kidnapping, Matter of Life and Death, Medical Experimentation, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Medical Torture, Medical Trauma, Mental Health Issues, Near Death Experiences, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Paranoia, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Pneumonia, Poor Peter Parker, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Avengers, Protective Tony Stark, Psychological Trauma, Restraints, Sad Peter Parker, Seizures, Self-Sacrifice, Separation Anxiety, Stabbing, Starvation, Suffering, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Torture, Trapped, Trauma, Traumatized Peter Parker, Vivisection, Vomiting, septic shock, spiderson, suffocation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStoriesUntold/pseuds/TheStoriesUntold
Summary: Peter and Tony are taken by Toomes after the incident at homecoming. Now they must decide whether to endure whatever Toomes has in store for them in the slim chance that rescue is on it's way, or let the suffering take its course and hope for a miracle. Will the two of them be able to survive their experiences and escape with nothing but bad memories? ...Or will these events forever change their lives... and their relationship?This is my first fanfiction so I apologize if my summary is rough. I'll also be updating the tags as I go. This story is already turning out to be a lengthy one and I still don't know where it's gonna end so I hope ya'll enjoy this crazy ride! Bare with me as I figure out my uploading schedule. Feedback is always appreciated! :)
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 79
Kudos: 141





	1. Electrified Excursion

Peter and Tony had met up for coffee at a local cafe to discuss recent events. Now they were strolling along casually, sharing light conversation while Tony walked Peter back to his apartment. They shared a few laughs here and there whenever Tony would comment with some sarcastic remark and Peter would mention random pop culture references. It was about 7pm on this brisk, autumn evening when Peter suddenly stopped in his tracks and froze mid-conversation. Tony took a minute and continued walking before he realized. Once he did realize, he whipped his head around, questioning Peter’s intense expression.

“Wha- Peter? What is it?”

There was a small pause and his expression slowly grew more and more worried with each passing second.

“Something’s wrong. I can sense it,” said Peter.

“What are you talking about Peter? Is it your spider senses?” asked Tony.

“Yeah.”

There’s silence all around as Peter takes a slow shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves. Tony inches closer to the boy, worry ebbing in his voice.

“What is it, kid?”

Peter shakes his head quickly.

“I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint it.”

Peter takes a few slow steps backwards, looking around cautiously. Tony followed him in the same manner. Behind them on their right, there was an alleyway. Peter crept into it with eyes and ears wide open, searching for the faintest sign of danger. Every hair on his body stood and he knew he was getting closer. Tony followed, trusting in the boy’s super senses. With whatever technology he had on his person, Tony commanded FRIDAY to scan the area for any threats. “I’m sorry, Boss. Something appears to be interfering with my scanners. I can’t get a proper reading.” The man cursed and rolled his eyes. “Of course.” As Peter continued deeper into the alley and the night grew darker, Tony’s paranoia also grew.

“Peter… I don’t like this. Maybe we should just get out of here. I’ve got a bad feeling.”

The boy turned and looked at him. “You know I can’t do that Mr. Stark. I’ve gotta see what this is. Someone could be in real danger.”

The man just looked away and sighed. “Yeah. Us,” he muttered.

He probably didn’t intend for Peter to catch the comment but with his enhanced senses, he couldn’t miss it. However, the boy just gave him a weary look as he turned back toward the alley and continued forward. After a few more eerie minutes pass by with the two still left without answers, Tony huffed in frustration.

“Peter, seriously, this is ridiculous! We’re getting nowhere with this. Let’s just go.”

Without facing the man, Peter responded. “We can’t just leave, Mr. Stark. We’re getting closer. I can feel it. My senses are through the roof right now.”

The boy continued forward without any hesitation while Tony paused and took a deep breath, examining their surroundings as closely as possible. Realizing Peter was going to keep moving no matter what, Tony let out a deep sigh once again and shook his head. The two were about ten to fifteen feet apart by now, with Peter in the lead a good distance ahead. They’d been searching for at least thirty minutes now, creeping down alley after alley with still no luck at all. Tony suddenly noticed someone watching them from a window up above and was about to demand that the two of them leave now. His anxiety was through the roof, especially now that he knew there was at least one person eyeing them.

“Uh, hey kid, hold up for a second,” he said.

Peter stopped and turned casually to face the man. “Mr. Stark, we can’t stop now! We’re SO CLOSE, I just kno-“

Suddenly, the boy was writhing in pain as he collapsed to the ground in a heavy heap. Tony screamed, “PETER!” He immediately darted towards the boy. All Tony could see was bright blue streaks of electricity coursing over Peter’s body. The boy let out a strangled scream as he convulsed on the ground, quickly losing consciousness. But just before the man could reach him, Tony himself was consumed by electricity. All he could think about was the white-hot pain all over his body and the blurry view of the boy lying unconscious next to him; his body still twitching in shock. The man could feel his own grip on consciousness fading and used whatever bit of it he had left to reach out towards the boy and whisper his name one last time before darkness consumed him. “…Peter.”

The boy woke up to nothing but darkness, cold, and the faint sounds of someone breathing. He was very groggy still and sore all over. It was that soreness that reminded him of what happened, and he immediately woke with a jolt. Taking deep, shaky breaths and looking all about for any sign of where he was, he began to panic. Just as he was about to start a full-on panic attack, he breathed a sigh of relief as his enhanced vision picked up the darkened figure of Tony Stark straight across from him. The man was still passed out in his chair.

“Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark is that you? Are you okay? Mr. Stark!”

Peter realized then that the only reason he was awake so soon was because of his enhanced metabolism. Tony had yet to move a muscle. That realization had him shaking with fear as he realized he was completely alone without the older man awake to comfort him. His shaking is what brought him to his next realization. He was completely bound to some sort of metal chair. The brutal cuffs around both his wrists and ankles held him utterly imprisoned. He assumed Tony would soon find himself in the same predicament. Peter tried repeatedly to yank himself free of the cuffs on his chair, only for his efforts to be proven fruitless. This fact alone brought to life the one nightmare that he wished he’d never have to face. He was trapped in a chair made entirely of vibranium; the strongest metal on Earth. Even someone like Peter with enhanced strength would never be able to break out of the cuffs on their own. And as he sat there, waiting for his companion to awaken, he could do nothing but engulf himself in the depths of his own thoughts. Hoping and praying that they would find some way out of this, and soon, the boy lowered his head as he broke down and cried. With each tear that spilled from his deep brown eyes, came a new terror filled vision of what may be to come.

After what felt like an eternity, the darkened form of the one and only Tony Stark had finally jostled awake. With eyelids heavy and muscles fatigued, the man slowly lifted his head and tried to examine his surroundings. He didn’t recognize anything until… 

“Mr. Stark?” 

How could he not recognize that voice? And it was with that one voice that Tony was immediately alert, eyes wide open. Searching for the young boy that he knew that poor voice belonged to, he whipped his head around frantically. As his senses continued to deprive him of any form of reassurance, his anxiety swelled, and he began to panic. But, of course, young Peter already saw that coming; he had experienced it himself, first hand. 

“It’s okay! It’s okay, Mr. Stark! I’m right here. I’m right here with you,” said the boy. 

Those gentle words alone were enough to bring Tony out of his panicked frenzy as he looked straight in front of him, towards the direction that the voice had come from. He took a deep, shaky breath and spoke for the first time. 

“…Peter? Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t see anything!” 

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark. I can see you. You’re right in front of me.” There was a slight pause before the boy continued with a subtle laugh, “Senses dialed to eleven, remember?” 

Tony laughed softly, “Right, right… Can you see anything else? Do you recognize anything?” 

“No… No. I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. All I see is an empty room. I don’t recognize any of it… We could be anywhere,” the boy said with a sigh. Tony sighed also and tried breaking free of his cuffs once he realized his bindings. “Don’t waste your energy, Mr. Stark… I already tried…The chairs are made entirely of vibranium and are bolted to the floor. If we’re gonna get out of this, we definitely can’t do it on our own.” Tony’s heart broke at the exhaustion and sorrow in the poor boy’s voice along with the painful truth of their situation. He relaxed in his chair and spoke. 

“Kid, do you know long we’ve been here? I’m sure someone at the compound would’ve noticed my absence by now. They’re probably tracking us down right now. Don’t worry.” Tony could tell just by the sound of the boy’s breathing that Peter had relaxed a little bit more after hearing such hopeful information. 

“I-I don’t know. There’s no way for me to track the time in here… But I think it’s been at least an hour since I woke up. Who knows how long we’ve actually been here though.” Tony’s thoughts brewed even further at that. 

“You know, that must’ve been one hell of a current they used for it to take out Spider-Man. You sure you’re feeling okay, kid? And don’t you dare go lying to me now. No sugar-coating it…You hear me?” Peter took a deep breath and sighed. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good Mr. Stark. Seriously. Don’t worry about me.” A quick reassuring smile glimpsed Peter’s even though he knew Tony couldn’t see it. 

“You know that’s impossible, right? I always worry about you. How could I not? And- and wait, you’re telling me… you sat here in the dark for over an hour waiting for me to wake up?” Peter let out another quick laugh. “Yeah, uh, super metabolism. Sedatives don’t usually work well on me. But you already know that… Makes me wonder who we’re really dealing with here… They obviously know who we are… And I wasn’t even wearing the suit. How did they know I was ‘enhanced’?” They both looked down as Tony responded, 

“I don’t know, Pete… I don’t know… I’m sorry I left you alone for so long. You shouldn’t have had to wake up to this by yourself.” Peter lifted his head, 

“It’s okay Mr. Stark. It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself. I mean… I was the one who got us into this mess in the first place.” Tony lifted his head at that, prepared to rebuttal when all of a sudden, a light above them turned on. It was bright as hell and Tony already knew Peter was suffering because of it. If he was hurting, trying to adjust to the sudden light, Peter had it ten times worse. 

“Whoa… Pete, you okay kid?” 

Peter grunted, “Ye-yeah, I’m good Mr. Stark. I- I just need a minute…” Tony opened his eyes, now that they’ve adjusted, and he could finally see the boy sitting directly across from him. He took note of how their captors had removed the boy’s shirt, but not his own; which left him very on edge. Peter held his head low, close to his chest as he squeezed his eyes shut and blinked rapidly in efforts to ease the pain. “Ah... it burns.” Peter shook his head once or twice. 

“I know kid, I know. But you got it. It’ll pass.” Just as Peter lifted his head, his eyes finally adjusting; the large metal door behind him to the left suddenly opened.


	2. Curious Concoction

The boy whipped his head around so fast, he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. It was then that he recognized the one person he thought he’d never have to face again; Vulture. In shock, his eyes widened, and he visibly shook.

“Vulture?! How did you get out of prison?!” Tony looked from Vulture to Peter and noticed the boy’s fear emanating off him.

“Vulture… Adrian Toomes,” he thought. “You’re the one who almost killed Peter!” Tony yelled.

“Indeed, I am,” said the man. He stopped in between the two and looked to Peter. “And let’s just say I know a guy,” he said maliciously. The man walked his way around the room slowly, coming from behind Tony and now headed towards Peter. The two of them never took their eyes off their captor for as long as they could.

“What do you want with us?! Why did you capture us?!” Tony voiced angrily. Peter tried to send the man a glare as he grew closer to him, trying to hide his obvious fear. The boy froze then as Vulture made his way behind him and stopped. He clapped his hands onto Peter’s bare shoulders and he jumped with a sharp intake of breath. Visibly tense under the man’s grasp, Peter shook, and Tony immediately grew more worried.

“Oh, don’t worry, we’re gonna have some fun! Play some games! You see, Pete here, really made a mess of things, didn’t he? Took away my business, my family, my LIFE. You RUINED my life, Spider-Man,” he said as he brought his head down close to Peter’s. “Tried to have me locked away for the rest of my days; but no! Sorry, kid. You’re not getting away from me that easily.” The man straightened back up and looked to Tony. “Spider-Man ruined my life… And now I’m going to ruin his,” he said with a smile. Tony finally spoke,

“You won’t get away with this! The other’s will be looking for us. They’ll find us soon enough. And when they do-“

“Sorry to burst your bubble Iron Man but you’re not escaping this. I’m sure by now, you’ve noticed that your chairs are made entirely of vibranium, correct?” He nodded at Tony. “Take a look around you, champ,” he gestured with his arms outstretched. “This whole room is made of it. If your friends really are trying to find you, they won’t get far. This room blocks out all technology both inside and out. You may have had some way for them to track you, but they won’t even know. It’ll just be like the two of you… vanished into thin air, without a trace.” The man shrugged as Tony’s eyes widened. “May as well get comfortable, boys; because this is the last place you’ll ever see.” Tony and Peter both lowered their heads at the new information. Vulture put his hands back on the boy’s shoulders and gripped them hard. “Now, we’re going to play some games. I’ve created some fun little challenges for the two of you. All of which have been designed to push Spidey-boy here, to his limits. And you, Tony? Well…you will be the one to watch from the sidelines as I experiment with our little hero.” The two of them looked up at each other and shared worried looks. “Oh! But, before we get started; I do have one last thing to add,” the villain mentioned as he darted off to the wall on the left. He was picking up something off what looked like a metal cart sitting by the wall that no one had noticed.

“ _When did that get there_?” Peter wondered. When the man turned back around to face the two of them, they both immediately panicked. In his left hand, Vulture carried a large syringe filled with some kind of glowing golden substance. He stood there for a moment with a huge smug grin on his face as he took in their fearful expressions. It was when the man started making his way toward Peter that the two of them really became hysterical.

“W-w-wait. Wait! WAIT!” The boy stuttered.

“What are you doing?! Get AWAY FROM HIM!” Tony screamed. Vulture did nothing but laugh as he came up on the boy. Peter shook and writhed in his chair, trying hopelessly to get away.

“Please- Please don’t! Please! NO!”

“WHAT IS THAT?! Don’t you DARE!” Tony panicked, knowing whatever it was that was in that syringe couldn’t be good. Before anyone could even blink, Vulture grabbed the boy’s hair tightly and pulled, forcing the boy to tilt his head back, and jammed the syringe into the left side of his neck. Peter let out a strangled scream at the sudden pain. “NO!!” Tony screamed at the top of lungs as he watched Vulture empty the syringe into the boy’s body. As soon as it was emptied, the man removed the syringe and slowly backed away from the boy, watching in awe as the contents took action without hesitation. Peter’s body was only allowed a single moment of relaxation before the concoction went into effect. Tony took this moment to call out to him, “P- Peter? …You okay, kid?” Peter sat with his head back, his body still wriggling with shock. He gave no response other than deep, uneven breaths. Tony could barely see the boy’s face, but he could tell that something was wrong. Suddenly, just as he was trying to lift his head, the boy arched his back, whipped his head down, and began convulsing in his chair. He screamed through his uneven breaths. He would try to lift his head through the pain, only for it to come crashing down again. His screams only intensified with the pain as he continued to convulse. “PETER! PETER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!” Tony screamed as he noticed the tears in Peter’s eyes every time he lifted his head, and he too, began to cry. “PETER! STOP IT! STOP IT PLEASE!” The man began to bawl uncontrollably as he could do nothing but watch as his favorite kid in the world suffered endlessly. After what felt like eternity, the boy’s screams and painfilled sobs finally slowed and the poor boy began to calm. He finally relaxed in his chair, his head back, drenched in sweat from head to toe as he greedily sucked in gasp after gasp of air unevenly. Peter immediately knew something was wrong. Rough, painful coughs ripped through him, lifting his head and throwing it back down each time. Exhausted, groggy, and out of breath, all he could feel was confusion. “What was that?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!” Tony questioned. Vulture stepped backwards towards the cart against the wall with an evil smile on his face once more. He hurriedly grabbed something off the cart and rushed back to Peter. Then, without any warning, when Peter lifted his disoriented head up once again, Vulture backhanded the boy in the face with what Tony realized was a pocket knife after noticing the sudden bloody gash on Peter’s face. A scream ripped from the boy’s throat and Tony yelled. “PETER! WHAT THE HELL?!” Vulture took a few steps back, slowly admiring his work. Now that Peter could finally hold his head up, the pain startling him back into focus; Tony could take a proper look at what Vulture had done. Blood had stained the left side of the boy’s face, seeping out of the cut on his cheek. Peter’s whole body shook, frozen in place. His glance flickered between Tony and Vulture repeatedly, pain emanating from the tears in his eyes. Before either of them could say anything, Vulture burst into a short fit of laughter.

“Haha! It worked!” He walked closer to the boy, crouched down in front of him and said, “Sorry Spider-Man… no more super healing for you.” Tony gasped,

“What? … What did you do?!” Peter just lowered his gaze to the ground. He could tell just by the way he was feeling that Vulture wasn’t lying. The boy could feel that his body wasn’t healing; at least not as fast as it normally does. He now knew what that wrong feeling inside of him was. “Don’t worry, its only temporary… Or at least, I think it is. I’ve never actually tested it before. So, uh, there may or may not be some side effects of the injection.” Tony’s look of disgust intensified. “But, I wouldn’t fret too much, it’s not like you’ll be leaving this place alive anyway.” He walked back towards the door. “Oh, right… I guess I probably should tell you what it is that I’ve given him; not that it really matters now… It’s a concoction of my own design, created to deplete Spider-Man of his super healing and strength. The drug is still in development though so, consider yourself lucky, or I would’ve taken away all your enhancements.” The man shrugged. “I created it just for you Pete… and it looks to me like it’s doing the trick.” Vulture gave one more evil grin before he slapped his hand on the door knob and said, “Enjoy your stay, you two. Let the games begin!” And with that, the man made his exit; leaving the two to their thoughts. Surprisingly enough, the light stayed on, which Peter and Tony were grateful for. The silence between the two was deafening. Tony couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Peter. Peter look at me. Please.” The boy lifted his head and slowly made eye contact. For a moment, Tony froze at the broken and hopeless expression on his face. “Peter, I need you to listen to me okay? We’re gonna be alright. We’ll find a way out of this, I promise.” The boy looked away.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mr. Stark,” he said quietly. That comment came so unexpectedly that Tony didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

“No… No, Peter. Don’t think like that. I know it seems hopeless, but we’ve got to try.”

“…Why? You heard him, Mr. Stark. There’s no way out… The entire room is made of vibranium so it’s impossible for anyone to trace our location, and now…” A single tear slipped from Peter’s heartbroken eyes and he choked as he held back a sob. “He took away my powers… I’m not Spider-Man anymore. It’s hopeless…” The boy lowed his head as he began to cry. Tony was devastated with Peter’s brokenness. All he could hear were Peter’s painfilled sobs as he tried to think of something. Then, suddenly, the boy’s sobbing turned into violent coughs.

“Whoa, Peter… You okay there?” There was pause, where nothing but Peter’s ragged breathing filled the room. “Look at me, kid. You alright?” Tony was getting frustrated, as all he could see was the boy’s shaking form and the messy mop of curly brown hair on his head. The man was about to raise his voice when Peter finally lifted his head, slowly.

“Mr. Stark… I don’t feel so good…” The moment the man saw his face, he couldn’t help but blanch instantly. In just the few minutes since Vulture had left, Peter’s face had paled dramatically, dark bags had grown underneath his eyes, of which he could barely keep open, and worst of all, he had apparently been coughing up this horrid black goop. He noticed it as it dripped down the boy’s chin and onto his bare chest. Tony cursed before the panic set in.

“Whoa… Okay… Kid, I-I don’t know what exactly they’ve given you but, whatever it is… It looks like your body is trying to fight it off. It’s rejecting the drugs.” Tony’s voice shook as he spoke. Peter responded, only halfway coherent,

“Is- Is that bad?”

“I don’t know, kid… I don’t know…”


	3. And So It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Two chapters in one day! I'm just so excited to share this story with you guys that I couldn't resist. It's getting to be a lot more angsty than I originally anticipated so be warned. And enjoy! :)

After passing out minutes after their previous conversation, Peter had finally come to. Tony had been frantically trying to get his attention since the moment the boy had lost consciousness.

“Pete? …Hey there, kiddo. You with me?” The boy slowly lifted his head from where it rested on the chair.

“Wha… What happened?” he asked groggily. Tony took note of the boy’s lack of awareness, barely hiding the worry in his voice as he responded.

“It’s okay, kid. You’re okay. What do you remember?” Peter was finally able to pull himself into a sturdier sitting position as he contemplated the man’s question. He took deep, uneven breaths as flashes of memory bombarded his brain.

“It -It all happened so fast,” he said between breaths, his voice hoarse from the screaming. Tony could pin point the exact moment when Peter regained full awareness, as he watched his eyes grow wide with realization. His intense and fearful stare gazed into nothing as some particularly painful memories arose and the boy couldn’t help but flinch. With his eyes shut tight and his chin tucked close to his chest in fear, tears welled up in his eyes once more as the reality of their situation sunk in. “It’s real… This is really happening… I thought it was all a dream.” Tony’s heart shattered into a million pieces as he could do nothing but watch as the beautiful, brilliant boy in front of him broke down sobbing once more. He sighed and looked away.

“I know kid… I wish it was.” Tony wanted nothing more than to hold the boy tightly in his arms so that no more harm could come to him. But he couldn’t, and that was what scared him the most. Only now had he realized just how much this kid meant to him. This 15-year-old genius kid from Queens with a heart of gold had somehow managed to nestle his way into the man’s heart. Peter Parker has inevitably changed Tony Stark’s life forever… and now… Tony couldn’t possibly imagine his life without him in it. But that realization is what scares him the most… The fact that they were both trapped here without any promise of rescue; knowing that the life of the boy he loved most in this world is hanging in the balance, and Tony can do nothing but sit and watch helplessly from the sidelines. It was then that he realized… if the boy didn’t survive this… neither would he. Suddenly, the man’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the large metal door opening once again. Seeing Toomes traipse in and imagining what was to come, the two occupants immediately startled into attention. Peter was much more aware now, with the danger in the room putting his senses on high alert. Tony noticed this along with the tears still fresh in his eyes, barely hidden behind a courageous façade.

“Hello, my two little celebrities,” Toomes began. “I hope you’ve enjoyed the little break. Seeing as it’s been about… hmm… 6 hours since I injected you with the serum…” He paused to look at his watch and then at the gash on Peter’s face. “And judging by that fabulous cut of yours that hasn’t healed, it seems to be working perfectly. Great! Looks like we’re all set to get started then!” At these words, Vulture admired the amount of sheer panic written on the two captives’ faces. Peter was speechless as his bottom lip trembled with fear.

“Get started?!” Tony yelled. “What do you mean, ‘Get started’?!” The man did nothing but smirk in response as he made his way over to the wall by the door through which he entered. He pressed a button by the doorway, causing the wall to their right to lurch as a huge glass wall suddenly came down and took its place. Within the glass wall was another door held closed by the massive vibranium latch. Peter and Tony could do nothing to hide their shock. What they thought had been one small vibranium room holding them captive was now split into two vibranium rooms with the addition of the glass wall, which they had to assume was also made of vibranium. Their fear hit new levels as the two could only imagine what was to come within that room.

“What do you think? It’s nice, right? You won’t believe the amount of detail I put into planning this whole thing.”

“What are you… What are you talking about? What is this?” Tony asked, fear ebbing into every word. Toomes let out a short, unamused laugh.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s my game room… or ‘torture chamber’. Whatever you wanna call it. This is where we will be playing our fun little games and pushing Spider-boy here to his limits… Just another juicy part of my revenge.” The two were speechless at his response and a single tear slipped from Peter’s eye as the man continued. “Let’s see… we’ve got… thermoregulation, I hear spiders are terrible at that,” he said quietly as he looked to Peter. “Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, but you already knew that, I’m sure. What else… Oh! There’s the old water tank drowning game we could try… Not sure what the proper name is for that one.” He continued, counting off each tactic on his fingers as he listed them off. “Annnd we could also play around with your reaction to extreme heat… but I guess that might go along with the whole thermoregulation one, huh? I guess there’s always one way to find out.” He said with a shrug. “Oh and of course you won’t be getting any food or water while you’re here, so we’ll definitely be taking note of your starvation and dehydration rates. That should definitely make things more interesting, eh?” He looked to the two occupants as if they were discussing the weather. After a moment’s pause, Vulture clapped his hands together excitedly, “Alright! Well… just to make it fair game, I will give you both the opportunity to decide which games we play and when. We will begin shortly. I’ll give you 5 minutes to decide… and if you refuse to make a decision, I will choose for you.” And with that, the man snickered and left the room. With the room now to themselves, Peter and Tony sat in complete silence, too shocked to speak. As the seconds counted down in their heads, they knew their time was running short before Peter’s imminent torture ensued. The two of them could no longer contain their panic as they realized nothing could prepare them for what they were about to face.

“This can’t be happening…” said Tony. Peter couldn’t keep himself from shaking with fear and it echoed in his voice,

“Mr. Stark? …What do we do?” The older man began to cry as well when he lifted his head to look the boy in the eyes.

“I don’t know… I don’t know, Peter…. Ugh, GOD. THIS IS ALL SO UNFAIR! Peter, you’re 15 years old! You shouldn’t even be here right now. You should be at home, prepping for some big exam with Ned or watching movies with May. Instead, you’re sitting here, trapped in a vibranium chair, waiting to die…” Tony didn’t even realize what had just slipped out of his mouth until he noticed the utter heartbreak in the boy’s expression. “Ugh, God… I’m so sorry, kid. I didn’t mean to- We’re gonna get you out of this, okay? You hear me? Forget what I said, I just…” Tony lowered his head in defeat and sighed.

“I’m scared, Mr. Stark… I- I’m so scared,” Peter hiccupped. The man whipped his head up, surprised by the amount of despair in the boy’s voice; making him sound so young, so small. He then realized that the only thing he could do for the poor boy was to try and bring him some semblance of comfort. He should never have lost his temper, especially when Peter needed him most. He should be doing all he can to comfort the boy and keep him hopeful, which is exactly what he was going to do from here on out. As long as they had hope, they had a chance; a chance to get out of this hellhole. Tony knew; somehow, some way, he was going to get Peter out of here if it was the last thing they did.

“Peter. I need you to listen to me okay?” He said as he looked into the boy’s eyes defiantly. “We’re going to get out of here. I promise. Okay? I promise. We are getting out of here. We just have to… We just have to play along. We have to buy you some time, because that might just be the only thing we can do.” Peter looked stricken.

“What? I can’t do that! Mr. Stark… I can’t! You- You said it yourself, any one of those things could kill me, Mr. Stark… I can’t do this.” He cried.

“I know, I know. But you have to listen to me, okay? Any one of those trials could kill you, yes. But if we can save the worst for last, maybe; just maybe, we can buy you some time. We just need to get as much time as we can, so we have a better chance of rescue, okay? It’s our only chance, Peter… We have to try.” Tony stared into Peter’s eyes intensely. “Promise me, Peter… Promise me you’ll try. Promise me… you won’t give up. Please… I need ya to trust me, bud. Can you do that for me?” There was a pause, and nothing could be heard except Peter’s anxious breaths.

“Yes…I trust you, Mr. Stark… I promise… I won’t give up.” And for the first time since they had arrived in this horrid nightmare, Tony smiled… and Peter smiled back.


	4. Drowning in a Sea of Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned folks, this story is only gonna get heavier by the chapter. Make sure to check the tags! And as always, enjoy!

Then suddenly, as if on cue, the great metal door they had both grown to hate, was thrown open once more as Adrian Toomes came strutting in; this time with two big men on either side of him.

“Okay! Time’s up! And, judging by the matching looks of shock on your faces, I’m assuming you two never came to a decision?” He asked. “No? Great! We’ll go ahead and start with one of my favorites then, shall we?” He quickly turned around to face the two men at his side, “Take him,” he commanded. Frantic, the two hostages started to scream and squirm in their chairs.

“What?! No! PETER! YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Tony cried, pulling at his cuffs.

“No! Wait! MR. STARK!” Peter yelled as the two men approached him and both sets of his cuffs unlocked. The two goons grabbed the boy before he had any chance of escape, standing at either side of him and holding his arms tightly, rendering them immobile. “No! No! Please! LET ME GO! MR. STARK!” Peter screamed, frantically. And just as the two men began their way towards the glass room with Peter in tow, Toomes suddenly commanded,

“Stop.” The room instantly quieted and all movement came to a halt. Vulture’s men turned to face him, never lessening their hold on the child as the evil man approached. Tony felt like a complete wallflower in this moment, as if Toomes didn’t even recognize his presence in the room as he walked right past him. It was then that Tony noticed the knife in the man’s hand as he quickly approached Peter.

“What’re you doing? DON’T TOUCH HIM!” Toomes then brought the knife up, as if he were inspecting it as he spoke in a calm and taunting voice. Peter began to squirm in his hold again, the moment he saw the knife.

“Don’t fight me Spider-Man. If you do, I can personally guarantee you, I will make this a hell of a lot more fun for me…” He slowly brought the knife to pierce Peter’s right shoulder and dragged it carefully down his arm as he continued. “And a hell of a lot more agonizing for you.” He concluded as he lifted the knife from the boy’s forearm and Peter’s screaming subdued. Tony was frantic to say the least.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?! LET HIM GO YOU BASTARD!” He cried. “PETER!” The boy was so weak from sitting for so long and his whole body ached from pain and the drug invading his system; he could barely stand on his own, better yet, provide any form of resistance. Toomes flaunted another smug grin as he spoke.

“Let’s begin.” The two goons took no hesitation in tossing Peter into the glass room and latching the door shut quickly. Peter was hardly coherent as he lay on the cold, hard floor of the glass chamber, thinking of nothing but the pain in his arm. He rolled lazily on the floor, his consciousness slowly coming back to him with the faint sounds of Tony’s worried screams through the glass. With a pain filled gaze he looked first to his torn-up arm and then to his teary-eyed mentor from beyond the wall. The cut didn’t appear to be too deep, Thank God; but it was bleeding, a lot. And with no super healing to stop it, blood loss may very well become his next concern. On the other side of the glass, Tony sat in utter terror as his neck ached and twisted from trying to keep his eyes on the boy. From behind him Toomes stood close to the doorway once more.

“Oh, don’t worry Stark, I haven’t forgotten about you,” he said. The villain then pressed a second button somewhere along the wall by the door and Tony jumped in his seat as he felt it and the floor beneath him shift and turn to a sudden stop. Now the man was facing the glass wall directly, front and center. Toomes came up behind him and whispered in his ear. “Can’t have you missing anything, now can we? Now you can be nice and comfortable as you watch your boy die.” Tears fled from Tony’s eyes as he shut them tight and lowered his head at the man’s comment. He only wished he could escape the image awaiting him when he finally did open his eyes again. He prayed in silence that with any shred of the luck he had left, Toomes would spare Peter’s life and go easy on the boy. Their only hope of getting out of this nightmare alive remained in the off chance that the mad man would save the worst for last. But luck, unfortunately, was not something Tony had a lot of these days, nor was it on their side. And as fate would have it… Toomes would never go easy on the boy. That much was confirmed with his next command. “We’ll start with my personal favorite: water torture.” Tony paled instantly and immediately looked to Peter with fear in his eyes.

“What?!” He yelled at the man. “You can’t be serious! He’ll drown!” Toomes just shrugged next to him and said,

“Yes, that’s kinda the point. But don’t worry, Stark. The games have only just begun… So I won’t kill him… Yet. I’ll keep him alive… But only just.” The room grew speechless, as those words sunk in. Tony could do nothing but sit in utter shock and watch as the barely coherent boy behind the glass fought to bring himself back to reality. “Let’s begin.” Vulture commanded. The once silent room suddenly burst with energy as one of the goons quickly slammed his fist against yet another button on the wall behind them. Immediately, four massive vents opened up inside the glass room; one at each upper corner of the walls. And just as the blood seeping from Peter’s arm began to pool and settle on the floor, it was washed away. In an instant, the boy was surrounded with inches of water gushing from every corner of his glass containment. Still laying helplessly on the floor, he flung himself upright as his senses came back to him once the water hit his eyes. Deep, ragged breaths shook his entire body as he realized what was happening. Water splashed everywhere with the boy’s struggle to stand. His legs wobbled, and he collapsed to his knees with every attempt until finally, he stood. Peter was so weak and exhausted, both mentally and physically. All he could do was try to grapple at the glass wall he had propped himself upon and look his mentor in the eye. He watched the man holler and scream for him although he could hardly hear his muffled cries over the rushing water. Tony whipped himself around in his chair, working tirelessly to free himself of his confines and get to Peter. The water was quickly approaching the boy’s knees and climbing.

“MR. STARK! WHAT DO I DO?!” He cried between heavy breaths. “HELP ME, PLEASE! I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!” He bawled as he slammed his fists against the glass, blood smearing everywhere from his mutilated arm. The boy had all but forgotten about the wound as he fought against the clock. Tony’s wrists and ankles began to bruise and bleed from his desperation.

“PLEASE DON’T DO THIS! DON’T DO THIS! PLEASE! PLEASE! HE’S JUST A BOY!” Tony cried. His eyes met those of the boy from beyond the glass and they both shared a moment of silent heartbreak. Tony hoped with all he had, that Peter could somehow find comfort from his gaze, although he had none to give within this hopeless situation. The water was now rising past the boy’s hips as he searched for an escape from this glass coffin. He took deep, ragged breaths as his whole weakened form shook with fear. He worked his way towards the door, trudging through the onslaught of rising water. Struggling to keep his footing, he tripped and fell; his whole body engulfed as his head slipped under. The boy immediately jumped back up, gasping for air as he finally found the door. There was no handle for which he could grab, but that didn’t keep him from scratching tirelessly at the doorframe. Water dripped from his hair and eyelashes, blurring his vision. His cries turned to gibberish as his desperation could no longer be put into words. He used every last bit of energy he had left to bang helplessly at the glass as the water rose faster and faster with every breath he took. Toomes leaned casually against the back wall, behind Tony with a smug grin on his face as he enjoyed the show. The deadly water was at Peter’s neck now and Tony knew that it was only a matter of time before his feet would no longer touch the floor. Peter stood in terror as he felt the water rise ever so quickly. He stared intensely into his mentor’s eyes, using them as an anchor of hope. The water crept up from his neck, covering his ears and filling his head with the overwhelming sound of rushing water. Soon enough the water would be over his head and Peter knew he’d have to swim in order to fight for his life. He had to hold on for a long as he could. He had to keep fighting… Because he promised Tony. He promised that he wouldn’t give up. And Peter’s never been one to break a promise. The man watched from the other side of the glass as the water swallowed the boy from head to toe and he floundered; trying to keep himself from drowning. By this point there was only a few feet of space left between Peter and the ceiling. He stared up at it, realizing it could be the very symbol of his own untimely demise. Tony’s brows furrowed as he noticed Peter growing weaker by the minute; coughing as he kept falling underneath the water. “HOLD ON PETER!” He cried. “JUST HOLD ON! DON’T STOP FIGHTING, PETER! PLEASE!” The man couldn’t keep himself from calling out to the boy, for it was the only thing he could do; even though Peter could hardly hear him. Peter was now floating within arm’s reach of the ceiling; and as his panic reached new levels, he knew his time was running short. He slapped at the wall above him and cried out.

“HELP! HELP ME, PLEASE!” He hiccupped between breaths. And with the last few inches of air he had left, he arched his body, so he could stay afloat as long as possible. His head smooshed against the ceiling where his palms pressed, and his hair hung in his eyes. And finally… with but an inch left of space between him and the ceiling, he muttered out one last plea for rescue… and sucked in his last breath before the water breached max capacity and the vents closed. For a moment, there was nothing but horrendous silence. But Peter was not giving up, no matter what. He continued his fruitless banging on the glass, hoping and praying that something would give. Tony’s heart ached in his chest as his wrists and ankles bled from the thrashing and his throat burned from all the screaming. Minute after agonizing minute ticked by and Tony knew Peter was barely hanging on. He quickly twisted around in his seat to face Toomes.

“Please. Please just let him go. I’ll do anything. Please!” Toomes’ grin fell, and he looked at the hero with malice in his eyes.

“No. I don’t think I will. There’s nothing that could make me happier than this. Watching the boy that took my life away from me suffer… It doesn’t get any better than that.” Tony was about to continue his pleas until he noticed the sudden return of the man’s signature grin when his eyes moved back to the glass cell. It was in this moment that the man’s ears were greeted with the worst silence anyone could ever hear. He whipped his head around in panic and saw that there was no more banging, no more muffled underwater cries. His eyes had met the boy’s in a moment of silent heartbreak as Peter grew even weaker; floating in place perfectly still. Peter fought against every fiber of his being, trying so hard not to take a breath… until eventually he was too weak. His eyes never left Tony’s as his fingertips slipped off the glass and bubbles of air escaped his lips. Tony could see the boy’s chest constricting in a fight for oxygen, though there was none to be given. And with one last look at Tony, Peter felt himself slip away as his body finally succumbed to the need for air. His lips parted slowly, and he painfully sucked in one agonizing breath of water. Tony cried as he watched the boy let out one last breath and drown, his eyes rolling back, and fluttering closed with finality.

“NO! PETER!” He hiccupped. “PLEASE DON’T GO! PETER!” He screamed at the lifeless form of his favorite boy, slowly sinking in the glass chamber; his hair and pants still flowing in the water almost peacefully. The man whipped his head around to face Toomes once more. “YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T KILL HIM! YOU MONSTER! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T KILL HIM!” Tony sobbed uncontrollably in his chair. Toomes finally snapped at the man.

“I wanted you both to know what it feels like to have your whole world taken from you! BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE DID TO ME, STARK! You Avengers think you’re all so invincible… Well let this be proof THAT YOU’RE NOT. You’re just like us. Expendable.” Tony froze with the man’s intense gaze. “Get used to it, Stark. This is how it’s gonna be every time. I torture the boy within an inch of his life with every game we play and eventually… he will die.” Tony’s eyes grew wide. “Whether it be with the first game or the last… Spider-Man won’t make it out of this alive. And neither will you.” Vulture finished his speech with one last command to his men. “Drain the room and bring him out.” The men moved without hesitation. One punched another button along the wall allowing the large drain in the floor of the glass cell to open and rid it of all water. Within seconds, the cell was empty, and Peter’s body lay motionless on the floor, soaked from head to toe. Then the second man immediately opened the door to the chamber. The airtight lock made a quick hissing sound as it opened, and he marched inside; grabbing the boy from under his arms and dragging him out to the main room. He laid him down none too gently at the same moment as Toomes smacked the button once more, returning Tony’s chair to its initial position. The villain opened the large metal door once more and the two goons left. He turned to face Tony with one last statement. “Bring him back, Stark, and I’ll let you two have some time together; for comfort and whatnot. But if you don’t, I will. And trust me… You don’t want me to.” And with that, the man gave one final stare and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there angsty babes! Don't you worry, this is just the beginning. ;) My heart hurts for our little spider baby and we've barely even begun!


	5. The Shirt On My Back

Just as the great metal door slammed shut with a lock, the cuffs on Tony’s chair suddenly flew open, freeing the man’s wrists and ankles for the first time since they had arrived. For a moment, he sat in frozen shock, staring down at his bruised and bloodied wrists. At first, he didn’t want to move because of the aching pain in his joints, and then he snapped back to reality when his eyes found Peter’s body on the floor in front of him. Suddenly, the man jumped out of his seat onto the concrete floor where he fell to his knees at the boy’s side. With shaking hands, he gripped anxiously at Peter’s cheeks; his skin cold to the touch and his lips tinted blue.

“Oh God, Peter,” he gasped. “Please. You’re okay. You’re okay, I’m here. I’m right here with you,” he comforted as tears fled from his eyes. He slowly moved his still shaking hands to the pulse point on the boy’s neck, hoping and praying for some sign of life. He waited, frozen in time… But found nothing; no pulse, no heartbeat. Whatever remained of his heart shattered and his voice broke. “No… No, no, no, no, no. You can’t be- You can’t be dead, Peter. PLEASE!” He bawled as he took in the boy’s lifeless expression. “Come back to me, Peter, please! I can’t lose you! PETER!” Panic attack incoming, Tony leaned back and took multiple deep breaths as he thought to himself, ‘ _Okay… I can do this. I know CPR. I can bring him back, everything’s going to be just fine. I can do this_.’ He leaned over Peter once more, hands at the ready. _‘Okay Tony, 30 chest compressions for every 2 breaths. That’s it. That’s all you gotta do. Just compress, tilt the head back, and breath for him,’_ he thought to himself. “For Peter,” he said aloud. With no further hesitation, he began compressions. As he kept count in his head and watched the boy’s body bob up and down with the movement, he muttered to himself out loud. “Come on Peter. Come on… Don’t leave me, buddy, please.” He paused his compressions and gave his first set of breaths to the boy and waited for a response. He checked his pulse… Still nothing. He began his second set of compressions; his anxiety rising with every movement. “Come on Peter… Come on.” Three sets of compressions later, Tony jumped as Peter’s body suddenly jolted to life and his chest constricted over and over with the water choking his lungs. The man immediately turned the boy on his side where he quickly vomited the deadly water from his body. Peter coughed repeatedly and violently while Tony sat him up in front of him, rubbing circles into the boy’s bare back. Peter leaned heavily into his mentor, his chin resting on the man’s shoulder. Bile dripped from his mouth with every weak cough that ripped through his body. Barely coherent, the boy struggled as much to open his eyes as he did to breath. Tony was doing everything he could to comfort the boy and bring him back to full consciousness; rubbing his back, squeezing him tightly and whispering in his ear as he rocked them back and forth. “You’re okay. You’re alright, buddy. I’ve got you. Just breathe. You’re safe now, I won’t let them hurt you.” Eventually, Peter’s coughing had eased, and Tony took the boy’s head in his calloused hands. “Hey there, kiddo. You with me yet?” He asked as he rubbed circles on the boy’s cheek with his thumb. Peter’s eyes fluttered open slowly until his awareness came back to him at the sight of his mentor.

“M’sr’ St’rk?” He mumbled; his voice breaking from the abuse. His eyes widened as he grew more aware. “You- You’re here. You’re really here? Is it really you?” He stuttered, lips trembling.

“Yeah, Pete. It’s really me. I’m here. I’m here and I’m never leaving you, I promise,” he said. The man suddenly grabbed the boy and pulled him close, arms clenched tight around him. He realized this is the first time he’s ever hugged or held Peter… And that realization alone, made Tony squeeze even tighter and never want to let go. For he feared that if he did, the cruel world might just snatch him up and take the boy away for good. Because in this horrid reality, chances are… it would; whether Tony was there to hold him or not. Tony felt Peter wrap his own arms around the man and squeeze back. As if it were even possible, he gripped the kid even tighter and shifted so that his face was snug against his neck; holding him so tight as to glue his broken pieces back together again. He breathed in the scent of the poor boy’s waterlogged, curly brown locks as he felt him tremble within his hold. “You’re okay, Pete. You’re okay. I’m gonna get you out of here, okay? I promise. Everything’s gonna be just fine, you’ll see. You’ll see.” He rambled as he continued to comfort the boy. The young one pulled away from him slowly, tears still falling endlessly from his eyes. He looked down with a sniffle before looking up into his mentor’s eyes.

“Wh- What’re we gonna do, Mr. Stark?” He said; his voice breaking. “I’m so- I’m so scared. I can’t do that again.” He shook his head back and forth rapidly as his anxiety rose at the thought. “I thought … I thought I was gonna die, Mr. Stark.” Tony quickly pulled the boy in for another tight hug.

“I know, kid. I know. I know you’re scared, and I know things are looking pretty hopeless right now but I’m telling you, Pete; we’re going to get out of here. One way or another, I’m getting us out of this hellhole. Okay?” Tony said as he held Peter’s face and looked him sternly in the eyes. Peter still found it hard to believe him, but he nodded his head nonetheless; hoping that his mentor’s fierce determination was enough. “Look; if nothing else, I’m sure May, Ned, and the team are all out looking for us as we speak. We’re not alone, Pete. If I can’t get us out of here soon, I’m sure somebody else will. Please just… You have to stay hopeful, kiddo,” Tony concluded. Peter nodded once more.

“I know, Mr. Stark…” The boy sucked in a deep breath before he continued. “I promised you I wouldn’t give up. I promised you I wouldn’t stop fighting… And you know I don’t take my promises lightly,” he said with a broken smile. Tony couldn’t help his huge smile in return.

“There he is.” He hugged the boy once more. “That’s my boy.” With Peter wrapped in his arms once more, Tony’s eyes suddenly flew open when he realized just how cold Peter was. “Geez, Petey, you’re freezing.” He said as he moved his arms around the boy’s body in attempts to keep him warm. Peter hadn’t stopped trembling since he came to.

“Y- Yeah. Sorry, it’s uh… It’s true what they say… about spiders not being able to thermoregulate,” the boy said with a weak laugh. Tony’s mind flashed between all the memories of he and Peter spending time together. His mouth fell agape, and gaze lowered at the realization.

“Well… I guess that explains why I hardly ever see you without a hoodie.” He shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe I never realized. Peter… Why didn’t you tell me?” His gaze shifted to the boy with concern in his eyes. Peter sighed and lowered his head in response.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark… I meant to, I just… I don’t know, I guess it just never came up.” The boy wrapped his arms around himself at his next thought. “I- I guess I just never thought it would be that much of an issue ‘til now,” he stuttered. Tony took in Peter’s shivering appearance and noticed that his lips had hardly regained any color, the sickly bags under his eyes had grown darker, and the gnarly cut all down Peter’s right arm looked to be the worst of it. It had barely stopped bleeding; judging by the blood-stained water droplets trailing from his arm. Tony knew that wound would become his next greatest concern, but there was nothing he could do to mend it. He knew that if that jarring cut became infected, it could kill Peter just as easily as anything else. Knowing there was nothing the man could do to lessen the pain or prevent infection made Tony’s heart ache even more. But instead of letting it break him any further, he decided to put all his focus into helping Peter in any way he could; no matter what.

“Okay… Well… It’s alright, Pete. Let’s just try and get you taken care of best we can, okay bud?” He said as he looked over the boy. “That arm… Try not to move it so much or you’ll risk reopening the wound.” Tony’s gaze fell as he avoided mentioning the risk of infection. He knew Peter was smart enough to have guessed it himself. Their only hope was that the water from the torture had at least cleaned the injury to some extent. And when Tony watched as Peter, too, moved his gaze to the floor, he knew he was right in assuming Peter knew about his risk of infection… as well as the deadly consequences that came with it. Not wanting to think about it anymore, Tony changed the subject. “Oh God, Peter you haven’t stopped shivering since you woke up… Come here. Take my shirt.” But just as the words had left his lips, the two captives were loudly interrupted. Vulture’s voice had boomed over an intercom somewhere above them and they both jumped at the sound.

“Ah-ah-ah. No can do, Stark. The boy stays without a shirt or you both will face the consequences,” he threatened.

“Oh, fuck that,” Tony huffed as he quickly pulled off his shirt. The two were now closely huddled together with the threat looming over their heads. But before he could give the shirt to Peter, the villain’s voice echoed once more.

“Stark… You give that shirt to Peter and there will be consequences. Dire consequences… I’m warning you now, Iron Man. You don’t want me to come back in there do you?” But as the intercom clicked off, a determined glare formed on Tony’s face and he didn’t hesitate to shove the shirt into the boy’s hands.

“Put in on Peter; you’re freezing.” The boy sat frozen in place, a mortified look on his face as he stared at his mentor in shock.

“What? Mr. Stark. No! It’s okay! I’ll be fine, really!” Tony grew angry as Peter argued with him.

“Peter, put the shirt on now or you’ll freeze,” he said sternly as he stared the boy in the eyes. Peter’s body continued to tremble; but he could no longer tell if it was from the cold or the fear in his heart.

“M-Mr. Stark I can’t. He’ll come back in here. We don’t know what he’ll do, please!” He cried, tears swelling in his eyes. Tony’s fearful aggression peaked as he strongly gripped Peter’s arms and shook him once.

“Peter, LISTEN TO ME. I don’t care what it takes; but if giving you my shirt is the only thing I can do to help you, then I’ll be DAMNED if I let you go without it.” He huffed. “Do you understand?” Peter looked him in the eyes, horrified, as one single tear slid down his cheek. He nodded vigorously.

“Yes,” he said, breathing heavily. “I understand… Mr. Stark.” He slowly looked down at the shirt in his hands and moved to put it on. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to as his actions were once again rudely interrupted; this time by the opening of the large metal door they’d both grown to hate. The door was roughly thrown open and Toomes stormed in, anger written all over his face. The two captives had tried to scurry away from the man when he stormed in but there was nowhere to go. He didn’t hesitate to charge towards the two of them as he ripped the shirt from Peter’s shaking hands. With them both now huddled in the far corner of the room, Toomes’s evil form towering over them dangerously, fear flashed in their eyes once again. Tony was doing all he could to protect Peter, tucking the boy behind him forcefully, using himself as a shield.

“I warned you two… I told you not to give him your shirt, Stark… But you refused to listen. So guess what happens next…” he said as viciously whipped his left hand forward, close to their faces with the balled-up shirt in his grip. “Now neither of you get a shirt. And well… I was going to give you both some time to rest… and I was going to allow you guys to chose what the next game would be, but…” He shrugged. “Now you get nothing. And good ol’ Spider-Man here gets to play his next game RIGHT NOW.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry :)


	6. Two Hearts Frozen in Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another two chapters in one day! And this one's extra long cuz I just couldn't cut it short. Enjoy!

Instant panic ensued and Tony’s vice-like grip on the boy increased.

“What?! NO! I WON’T LET YOU HURT HIM ANYMORE! YOU CAN’T!” He cried. Toomes only laughed with an evil grin on his face.

“Oh, I can; and I will. And as usual, you get to watch!” Toomes turned away from them and called his two men back into the room to separate them. The goons quickly grabbed them and ripped them apart, Tony and Peter fighting and screaming for each other the entire time. But before their grip on one another had broken, Tony held onto Peter’s hand for dear life. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion… For he knew, that once he let go of the boy, there was an even greater chance of losing him forever. He knew that Peter’s chances of survival dwindled drastically with every game he played… and eventually… He would lose him. So, he held onto Peter’s hand with his own, so tightly that he almost feared he’d break the boy’s fingers. But at this point, he didn’t care… This feeling, of his favorite boy’s hand intertwined strongly with his as they were being pulled away from one another; was the only thing keeping Peter safe from harm. Tony’s voice cracked as he screamed and cried.

“NO! PETER! PLEASE! DON’T DO THIS, PLEASE! DON’T TAKE MY BOY AWAY FROM ME!” The two of them felt their grip on each other slipping.

“NO! PLEASE! MR. STARK!” Peter cried. “PLEASE DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY! I CAN’T DO IT, MR. STARK! I’M SCARED, PLEASE!” Peter felt the wound in his arm reopening as Tony continued to pull, but that was the last thing he cared about in that moment. Unfortunately, their hold on each other couldn’t last forever and the two men pulling them apart finally overpowered them. Their hands finally broke apart and they both let out simultaneous cries of horror. It was in that moment that Tony heard the one word he had always dreamed of hearing from Peter… only, this time, it wasn’t a dream. And these weren’t the happy and heartwarming circumstances he’d always shared with the boy in the past. And yet, the word pulled on his heartstrings just the same, if not more so.

“DAD!” Peter cried. There was a moment of silence that followed the word. Peter realized that unexpected word had slipped so easily past his lips, as if it had been brewing on the tip of his tongue for years. Time seemed frozen in place at their shocked expressions, as both captives writhed against their captors. And just as quickly as their moment had arrived, it had passed; and Peter was roughly thrown over the man’s shoulder and into the glass chamber once more. Their cries for each other only increased in volume and they both found themselves unable to hold back their newfound love.

“PETER! THAT’S MY BOY! THAT’S MY KID! DON’T HURT MY BOY, PLEASE!” Tony fought tirelessly as he was thrust back into his captivating chair and the cuffs locked him in yet again. Toomes didn’t even hesitate to smack the button that turned Tony’s chair to face the glass wall. The villain had no patience for anything at the moment and it was obvious. He threw open the metal door and lugged in his own chair to sit upon as he enjoyed the next show. Tony’s panic turned into rambles.

“What’re you going to do to him? Please! He’s just a kid! Don’t do this!” Meanwhile, Peter rolled onto his side, wincing with the pain that came with the movement. He slowly maneuvered himself onto his hands and knees, but before he could even turn around to face the glass he was choking. He gagged and coughed repeatedly with gut-wrenching effort. The vicious, wet coughs tore through Peter’s throat and caught everyone’s attention. When Peter brought a hand up to his mouth to catch whatever he was coughing up, his face only paled further at what he saw. The whole room stood in silent awe and horror at the sight before them. Pooling in Peter’s hand was a viscous mixture of that same horrific black goop caused by the drug still inside him, water from nearly drowning, and now… a deep crimson swirl of his own blood. Tears fled from the boy’s eyes at what he held in his own hands. It was as if he was watching his own body fall apart right in front of him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The mixture dripped from his chin, staining his chest, pants, and the floor below him. Minutes ticked by as Peter continuously fought the urge to cough and vomit up more bloody black goop from his aching lungs. Eventually, he couldn’t hold back any longer and the mixture was once more projected from his mouth, leaving vivid splattered stains all over himself and the concrete. Tony’s heart ached at the sight before him. If it wasn’t obvious before, it definitely was now. There was no ignoring the fact. Peter was dying. Games or no games; torture or no torture… It was only a matter of time before the boy’s short life would come to and end. As the man sat locked up in his vibranium chair, with Peter trapped behind the glass wall that divided them, Tony realized just how hopeless their situation truly was. With just how quickly things have escalated and Peter’s condition has continued to deplete; Tony knew Peter only had days left, if that at this point. It seemed that no matter what happened, the universe was not going to let Peter survive this encounter. If the games don’t kill him, infection, hypothermia, blood loss, starvation, dehydration, and/or the drug destroying his body from the inside out will. Tony knew he promised the boy he wouldn’t lose hope… But there truly was no hope left for them. Not anymore. They had only been here for about 8 hours and already, Peter was barely hanging on by a thread. They still had no signs of rescue and no chance of breaking free. It was in this moment that Tony realized the one fear that no parent should ever have to come to terms with… He needed to prepare himself for the worst. Until now, the man refused to even think about Peter dying in here… But after how close of a call it had been with just the first game… Tony knew… The odds of his boy surviving this were slim to none. And for the very first time… The man had to prepare himself his own son’s demise. The son that he never even realized he had until today. The son that he never even realized he loved until today. And as he watched Peter continue to fight from beyond the glass, the man was broken out of his stupor when Toomes suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“Geesh, Stark… Your little Spiderling isn’t looking to hot,” he said with a smirk. He shrugged. “And you said he was freezing before… Well, things are about to get a whole lot colder.” Toomes commented with a laugh. “I would consider saying your goodbyes, Stark. By the looks of it… I wouldn’t say Spider-Man has much left in him. Though I must say, I’m surprised. After the whole Homecoming fiasco, I really thought it would take a hell of a lot more than this to take him out. But I guess without all the super healing and super strength, the boy really isn’t much of a hero after all, huh?” Toomes sighed disappointedly. “Just comes to show that you supers aren’t everything you’re made out to be… “Spider-Man” a.k.a. Peter Parker; just another easily-forgotten high school outcast,” the villain concluded in a mocking voice. Tony’s stern glare grew wet with unshed tears. He squeezed his eyes tight, tears running down his cheeks as he lowered his head in defeat. He knew Vulture’s words were entirely untrue, but he no longer had the fight left in him to argue… nor did Peter. Behind the glass, the boy’s frail arms could no longer hold himself up as he continued to choke on his own blood. When Tony opened his eyes, he found the weakened form of his boy, laid out on his side, facing his mentor with the most exhausted look in his eyes. The boy’s whole body shook from head to toe as he wheezed and coughed; shivers wracking him to the bone. The whole room suddenly lit up with excitement at Toomes’ next command. “Let’s test out that spider thermoregulation, shall we?” Tony jolted his head up at his words; his eyes meeting the boy’s once more. Toomes pressed yet another button on the wall by the door, leading to the very same vents opening from the last game. However, instead of rushing water, this time extreme gusts of freezing cold air burst from each vent inside Peter’s glass prison. The air was so cold you could already see it causing the boy’s breath to show and slowly frost over the glass. Tony cried,

“No… Please, you can’t. He’s already shivering as it is! He’ll freeze to death! PLEASE! GIVE THE BOY A CHANCE!” The villain only ignored his pleas as he stared at the sight before him with a smile on his face. There was no telling how cold the temperatures had dropped within the glass chamber. Peter’s constant shivering only grew worse and within minutes he was struggling to keep his composure. Frost had even begun to show upon his curly, wet locks. With the water still soaking him to the bone and the vents blowing in the cold air so rapidly adding wind chill to the scenario, Peter knew he would not last much longer. His breathing became even more labored, on top of his coughing up bloody black water from his sore lungs. He laid on his side, still facing Tony with tears in his eyes and blood dripping from his lips to the cement floor beneath him. Every fiber of his being quivered from both the cold and the fear in his heart. Peter’s will to fight was dwindling with every passing second and Tony could tell. The man didn’t blame him either… How could he? The boy’s only fifteen and he’s been fighting for his life for the past 8 hours straight. Tony didn’t even bother fighting the tears anymore as he could do nothing but watch from afar. Peter curled in on himself as tightly as he could, using every last bit of his energy to fight off the cold with tooth and nail. He knew it was futile though, so he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to prepare himself for the inevitable.

_“I don’t wanna die,”_ he thought to himself. _“But … I got a good fifteen years, right? …I guess. I mean… Sure, I never got to tell MJ how I feel about her, and I never got to join the Avengers… Or even graduate high school. But at least I got to be Spider-Man… And at least I got to work with Mr. Stark. And at least we both finally know how much we care about each other. I’m glad he got to know that I think of him as more of a father figure than a mentor these days. I just hope he doesn’t beat himself up over this… though I’m pretty sure he will. I mean, he said it himself… ‘And if you die, I feel like that’s on me.’ Yeah… Sorry Mr. Stark… Looks like it’s gonna end up on your conscience after all. Ugh, God Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry. And what about May? I’m all she has left. No… Mr. Stark would help her. He wouldn’t leave her all alone. Not really. Mr. Stark knows how much May cares for me… I just know he would take care of her for me. Of course, he would.”_ Peter winced at his thoughts. He opened his tearful eyes once more and looked to his guardian before him. He opened his mouth to try and speak but no sound came out. His body was so focused on trying to bring in oxygen and cough up blood that he couldn’t get a sentence out.

“I don’t wanna go. I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark, please. I don’t wanna go… I don’t wanna go.” The boy cried to himself as he realized he could no longer feel his fingers or toes. He looked down at his shaking hands and saw that they had indeed begun to change color with the onset of frostbite. He had no doubt that his lips had also taken on the cold, blue tinge. Tony noticed it as well, even from afar. Peter could feel his body losing the fight… His shivering and breathing were beginning to slow already, and he was losing his hold on consciousness. His eyes grew fuzzy and his sight came in and out of focus. Tony couldn’t stand it anymore… watching his boy suffer in agony, fighting for his life over and over again with no end in sight. The man started to wonder… maybe… maybe it would be best to just… let it end. Let the poor boy drift off. There are worse ways to go, right? It would just be like… falling asleep. At this point it was probably better than the alternative: more pain and suffering. Peter had fought so hard. He had remained hopeful and he held out for as long as he could. But the body can only fight for so long before it gives out… And Tony could tell Peter was quickly losing that battle. The boy had stopped shivering entirely and was staring straight ahead. Tony came to the realization that Peter probably wasn’t even aware anymore, his eyes peering straight through him. More tears fled from the man’s eyes as he thought about what he wanted to say… before it was too late. He knew he had to say it now.

“Peter… Pete, kid. I don’t know if you can hear me or not but… I just, I’m proud of you, kid. I am SO proud. You’ve been so brave, so strong. You’ve fought so hard for so long.” His heart broke with every word that left his lips. “I just want you to know, Pete… I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this for you. I saw myself in you, kid. From the day we met, I saw all the best parts of myself reflected in you. That’s why I wanted you to be better. I didn’t want you to be like me. I wanted you to be better than me. But damnit, Peter… You were already better than me. You always were and you always will be. You’re the most selfless, kindhearted, caring person I know. You’ve always been the kid that would do anything and everything for a person in need… even if they don’t deserve it.” He turned his head towards Toomes. Beyond the glass, Peter struggled to stay conscious, his eyes dropping heavily. Tony continued, “I know you’re tired, kid.” He sobbed. “And I want you to know that it’s okay… It’s okay, Peter… You can let go…. You can let go now, kid. You’ve suffered long enough, my boy. I won’t be mad, I promise. I just can’t stand seeing you in so much pain. So… If you’re ready to go, Peter… It’s okay. Just know that… I love you, kid. I love you SO MUCH.” At those words, Peter’s eyes fell closed and Tony could no longer tell if he was breathing anymore. A broken sob tore through his throat at the realization. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. With the eerie quiet that settled in the atmosphere following Tony’s heartfelt words, Toomes slowly shut down the chamber and unlocked Tony’s cuffs. Vulture’s men had brought some things into their cell: a heating blanket, some hot water bottles, and a defibrillator. As Tony sat frozen in his chair, his eyes met Toomes’ in a quiet standoff. “Unless you want him to wake up in even more pain than before, I suggest you find a way to bring him back before I’m left to my own devices,” the man said, patting the defibrillator on his way out the door. While Vulture’s threat didn’t go unnoticed, Tony couldn’t help the inner turmoil stirring inside of him at the thought of bringing Peter back. He wanted nothing more than to bring him back, hold him safe and sound in his arms, and just wrap him in a warm embrace until help arrived. But realistically, he knew what bringing Peter back meant for the boy. _“Yes, there’s always that hope that help is on the way, but can Peter even make it until then? Is it even worth bringing him back if it only prolongs his suffering?”_ But Tony knows that ultimately, no matter how badly Tony wants to bring Peter back to life… The choice is Peter’s, not his. If Peter has even an ounce of fight left in him, he’ll find his way back. All Tony has to do is be the beacon of light to guide him home. If he can’t… then at least the poor boy can finally rest without anything left to fear. It’s with that realization that Tony’s mind flashes back to his earlier conversation with the boy… _“We just need to get as much time as we can, so we have a better chance of rescue, okay? It’s our only chance, Peter… We have to try.” And suddenly, a fire was lit inside the man’s heart. “Promise me, Peter… Promise me you’ll try. Promise me… you won’t give up. Please… I need ya to trust me, bud. Can you do that for me?” There was a pause, and nothing could be heard except Peter’s anxious breaths. “Yes…I trust you, Mr. Stark… I promise… I won’t give up.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our poor baby just can't catch a break :(


	7. The Death Sentence

Without any further hesitation, Tony jumped into action. They had left Peter’s body in the glass room for Tony to take care of so he ran in as fast as he could and fell to his knees by his side yet again. Breathing rapidly with fear rattling throughout his body, Tony quickly scooped Peter up into his arms in a bridal carry. And even though he had watched every agonizing second of Peter freezing to death, he was still startled at just how cold he was. The boy’s skin was so ice cold that it practically burned to the touch. The shock only seemed to motivate Tony even more as he darted back into the warmer room with the boy in his arms. Finding the spot by the door where Toomes had left everything, he laid Peter down gently and grabbed the warming blanket. Seeing the outlet on the wall by the door, he plugged it in and set it to the highest setting as he wrapped Peter up like a burrito. He made extra sure to cover his head, knowing that the water from the previous game hadn’t dried before the kid froze. Then, without exposing Peter’s naked torso for too long; he took the hot water bottles and quickly tucked them under the kid’s arms and around his neck. Now that he was all wrapped up, all Tony could do was wait in agony as the warmth worked its way into Peter’s frozen body. He took this moment to check for a pulse, realizing that he’d forgotten to do that first in his hurry to get the boy warm. He cursed under his breath at the predicted stillness and immediately started on compressions in what he knew was about to become a vicious cycle for both him and Peter.

_“Come on Peter, please. Don’t give up on me kid, you promised. You promised me you wouldn’t give up! We both know you’re not one to break a promise, so you better hold up your end of the deal and come back to me!”_ After his first set of compressions, Tony paused to breath for him and check for signs of life. Still nothing. _“Come on kid, don’t leave me. Don’t you dare leave me. You’re MY boy. It took me damn near long enough, but I just realized that you’re MY boy! You can’t leave me now! Not now! That would be the worst cliff hanger ever Peter, you can’t end a story like that. There’s still far too much left for you! For us! I know I said it was okay for you to go before but I take it back! It’s not okay! It’ll never be okay! The only way you’re allowed to die is when you’re old and grey and safe in your nice warm bed, with a bunch of your own little spiderlings left to tell your story. That’s it. You don’t get to die now Peter! Not at fucking 15 years old, you hear me!”_ “Fuck kid just come back to me! Breathe damn it!” Tony cried aloud as he slammed his fist onto Peter’s chest in desperation. He gave another two deep breaths to the boy’s cold, blue lips and waited. Tony couldn’t help but hold his breath in anticipation as he eagerly watched for any sign of life. And then, over so subtly… Peter took a slow, deep breath in and his body came back to life as if it were a rusted old machine learning how to operate after years of sitting forgotten in an old dusty garage. Tears burst to the man’s eyes as he noticed the tiny movement of Peter’s chest and heard the quiet exhale. It was like music to his ears; a heavenly song in rejoice. Tony quickly put his hand to the kid’s neck to check his heart rate… It was faint and weak… but there, nonetheless. _“I’ll take it, kid. It’s not the best but I’ll take it.”_ Now that the kid was back in the land of the living, Tony felt every last bit of adrenaline leave his body in a rush. But he took it with a smile as he leaned forward and rested his head lightly on Peter’s chest. It moved up and down with every tiny, stuttering breath and Tony found himself crying tears of joy at the subtle movement. His kid was alive. Peter was alive. He had held up his end of the deal and kept his promise. He’s still fighting, and Tony is reminded of the fact with every little bob of his head on Peter’s chest. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, taking in the beautiful sound of Peter’s aching heartbeat. Though the kid’s chest was still utterly cold, Tony knew he could fall asleep to the sound of Peter’s heart beating away to the rhythm of his breaths, rocking Tony’s tired head like a bassinet. It was then that the man decided that there was no greater sound on Earth, and he didn’t wanna live another moment without it on repeat.

After what seemed like hours later, Tony was jostled out of his sleepy daze to the increasing sound of pain-filled groans. He immediately straightened up and gently coaxed the boy back to consciousness. “Heyyy… hey there Pete.” He said softly. “Welcome back to the land of the living, kid.” Peter’s eyelids sluggishly fluttered open until he his blurry gaze found Tony’s.

“…Dad?” The kid’s voice broke as he threw out the first thought that popped into his brain. The man was not prepared for that. Not even in the slightest. The word startled him, but he still couldn’t keep the smile from forming at the kid’s response. He reached out and cupped the boy’s cheek in his hand, his smile growing by the second.

“Yeah kid… That’s me. I’m right here… Dad’s right here.” Peter smiled, still barely fighting off sleep.

“I missed you.” Tears sprung to Tony’s eyes at those words.

“I missed you too, bud… You have no idea.” The man leaned closer and the two rested their foreheads together in a silent gesture of love. Tony didn’t even bother fighting off the tears anymore as they fled down his cheeks, landing on Peter’s bare chest as if they knew they were meant for him. Before things got too awkward, Tony pulled away but kept his hand tucked in the boy’s soft, damp curls. “We gotta figure this shit out kid… I don’t think your old man can survive another scare like that.”

“Tell me about it,” Peter choked out. Small coughs came about now that Peter was fully aware again. It was like his body had just been reminded of everything it had endured in the past few hours. The kid was trying to sit himself up so he could properly face his newly acquired father, but his weakened arms shook with the slightest movement. Tony easily noted this and put a hand on the kid’s shoulder.

“Hey now, take it easy, buddy. Let’s just take a minute to catch our breath for a minute, okay? You’ve been though a lot, let your body rest while it can.” Peter looked up at him and slowly let his body fall back down to the floor. Once his back hit the concrete, exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he let his eyes begin to flutter yet again. Tony could tell Peter was doing everything he could to keep from falling asleep, no matter how badly he needed it. “Pete… It’s okay. You can sleep, now. I’ll be right here with you the whole time. I won’t let them hurt you, not if I can help it,” he said. Peter sluggishly turned his gaze to Tony as he continued to fight the drowsiness.

“...’s not safe…” He panted. Tony let out a heavy sigh.

“I know you’re scared, kid. I am too… It’s okay to be afraid. But you’re SO strong. And don’t forget, you’re not alone. You’ve got me. We’re in this together, bud. You and me… And we are going to make it through this together.” Tony took Peter’s delicate hand in his. “I promised, didn’t I?” The two shared a soft smile.

“…Can you… hold me? …Please?” Blush found its way onto the boy’s cheeks at the request. Tony’s smile only grew bigger.

“Of course, kid,” he said without hesitation. He quickly scooted himself forward on his knees and scooped the kid into his arms. Cradled there against his chest, Peter rested his head gently into the crook of the man’s neck and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Tony felt him relax in his arms as if all his worries just melted out of him. The kid’s eyes fluttered shut and his breaths began to even out.

“… Thank you,” said Peter. Tony just looked down at the precious cargo in his hold, his smile never fading.

“No need to thank me, kid.” _“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment,”_ he thought to himself. Tony tightened his hold on the kid and brought his cheek down to rest on Peter’s as he drifted off to sleep. “As long as you’re in my arms, you have nothing to fear. I won’t let them touch a single hair on your head. You are always safe with me, Pete. Always. That’s a promise.” An undeterminable amount of time later, Peter woke up in Tony’s embrace with the man’s head rested atop his own. After sleeping in the same position for who knows how long on the concrete floor of their dreary cell; Peter’s muscles grew sore and antsy from the lack of movement. He wanted to move but he didn’t wanna wake Tony and interrupt the intense feeling of safety that came with being in his dad’s arms. In all honesty, he never wanted this moment to end… but his sore body was demanding otherwise. With the slightest of movements, Peter tried to wake his mentor. The man simply groaned at the disruption but had yet to lift his head. Before too long, the coughs came back with a vengeance and whatever hesitation Peter had left in waking Tony had all but disappeared. One after the other, the coughs worked their way out and grew more and more intense each time. That was all it took for Tony to startle awake like he’d never been asleep in the first place. “Pete, whoa, whoa, whoa… You’re okay. You’re okay. Hey, just take it slow. Let it all out. You’re good,” he rambled words of comfort in his efforts to ease the boy. The coughs only grew worse by the second. Soon enough, Peter was leaned fully forward, still in Tony’s arms; coughing so hard he feared he’d lose a lung. Tony just rubbed circles on the kid’s back and mumbled reassurances. Peter wanted to cry as his throat was torn to pieces.

“...I can’t… I can’t breathe… I can’t breathe,” he said in between pants.

“What? Peter, you can’t breathe? Okay… Okay, uh… Just try to take things slow, you’re coughing so much you can’t get a breath in, you gotta slow down, bud… What can I do to help?” All Peter could do was shake his head in response as he sat bent over himself in an endless fight. Then, without any warning, the kid was choking. “Pete? Pete?! …Oh God. Come on, kid. Get it out. You gotta breathe!” Tony yelled in desperation as the kid still hadn’t taken a single breath. “Somebody help, please!! PLEASE!! The kid can’t breathe! HE CAN’T BREATHE, PLEASE!!” He screamed at the door. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse; the same horrendous concoction of thick, black, blood spewed from Peter’s mouth. “Oh God,” was Tony’s stricken response. Peter continued to projectile vomit the blood all over himself and the floor beneath him until he was finally able to suck in a desperate breath. Sobbing, panting, and lips quivering with emotion; Peter simply sat there in shock and what had just come out of him. In his hands was a puddle of it, so dark and thick that he could see his own broken reflection staring back at him. He slowly turned himself to look at Tony, shaking with fear.

“…Wha- What’s happening to me?” He cried. Tony simply stared back at him in shock, at a complete loss for words. What is happening to him? Is he dying? Is it something more? How long can Peter survive this… this thing devouring him from the inside out? Tony’s mouth simply opened and closed in silent stutters as he struggled to come up with a response. Suddenly, the door to their cell opened yet again and Tony immediately grabbed Peter. He haphazardly shoved the kid behind him to serve as a shield to the suffering boy. Toomes simply stood in the doorway with a smug look on his face.

“Tick, tock, you two. Looks like young Spider-man isn’t going to last as long as I’d hoped,” he sighed. “What a bummer. I was just getting started. We haven’t even gotten to the fun parts yet!” Tony looked at him with horror in his eyes, pressing himself back against the kid. Toomes just shrugged casually and said, “Oh well… Guess that just means we’ll have to speed things up a bit.” He shot an evil smile at Tony. “That being said, I’ll have to narrow it down for you. So, from here on out, you’ve got three options to choose from. I mean honestly, I’ll be surprised if the brat even makes it to the third game. But hey… Who knows, right?” He laughed. “So, for the sake of the show, I’ll have mercy on you two and let you choose what game to play and when. Here are your options,” he counted them off on his fingers. “One, vivisection. You let me open you up and take a nice long gander at all the inner workings of our one and only Spider-man.” He said with excitement. “Two, electric chair, because why not? “And last but not least, gas chamber. Because wouldn’t suffocation just be the most ironic way to go after everything?” Tony and Peter’s eyes grew wider with each option that was mentioned. “Oh, but there is one more thing to keep in mind…” Toomes smirked. “If spider-brat somehow miraculously survives all three of my games… don’t go thinking you’re getting out of this. You’re not. If the kid doesn’t die on his own, I’ll take matters into my own hands and execute him myself… Publicly… Then all your little Avenger pals will get to see how royally they fucked up in failing to rescue you.” He laughed maliciously. “And Tony, don’t worry… I haven’t forgotten about you. Once the spider is done for, you are free to go. I have no need for you. I only captured you for the entertainment. And perhaps as a little motivation for Spidey to last as long as possible. I know I said you wouldn’t be leaving this place alive either, but you see… After witnessing the brutal death of your own son, you’ll be dead inside… And that’s more than enough for me.” He turned towards the door with a smirk. With one hand on the doorknob as he threw it open, he said, “I’ll give you two the night to decide on a game plan. Until then… enjoy your time together because it’s all you have left. See you in the morning, gentlemen. Tick… Tock…” With that, Toomes left their cell with a wave and a smile on his face as he slammed the door shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe.. yeahhhh this story is gonna be a thing of nightmares. Don't say I didn't warn you.


	8. Foretold Farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll this chapter is nothing but pure heartbreak. I apologize in advance.

Father and son sat there endlessly against the cold vibranium wall, frozen in time. The two were left utterly speechless after Toomes’ last words. Peter could do nothing to keep himself together any longer, no matter how hard he tried. The broken boy could no longer fight the onslaught of silent tears that escaped him as he shook helplessly in Tony’s arms. The man himself was so overwhelmed with fear he didn’t even know how to comfort the kid. There were no words that could ease them now. So he just kept his quivering mouth shut and held the shaking boy as tightly as he could. Throughout everything, throughout this entire day of hell, Tony battled back and forth with himself about remaining hopeful… for Peter’s sake. But now… how could he? What could he possibly say to Peter in a situation like this? He knew the kid was strong, the strongest person he knows even… But he’s still just a kid. And no kid, enhanced or not, should EVER be faced with having to decide how and when to end their life. That’s the irony of it all really. Toomes has allowed them to “choose” what games to play and when but in all actuality, no matter what they choose… Their choices won’t change the end result. That’s the one constant that the two can’t seem to escape… Peter’s going to die here, one way or another. And there’s not a single thing Tony can do to stop it. No matter how badly he wants to keep believing that Peter will make it out of this alive… there’s simply no way. Not anymore. What 15-year-old kid could survive having their chest cracked open and dissected while still fully conscious?? What 15-year-old kid could survive now a second round of electric shocks? What 15-year-old kid could survive asphyxiating in a glass box for minutes on end? Then again, it’s not like Peter hasn’t already done that… twice now. If the kid doesn’t have some kind of long-term brain damage yet, he’s sure to by the end of this… And that’s IF he makes it out alive. There really is no happy ending for this poor kid. With these thoughts and more running on hyperdrive through the man’s brain, Tony’s face is frozen in fear as he cradles his kid in his arms. The two sit together, rocking back and forth in a feeble attempt at reassurance and comfort. Peter, on the other hand, while wrapped in his father’s embrace can do nothing but cry out in horror at what faces him at dawn. His eyes clenched shut so tightly he sees spots behind his eyelids but refuses to open them. Whatever darkness can be found within his own mind is far safer than what remains in the outside world. The boy held onto Tony so tightly, the man knew there’d be bruises to show for it… But he didn’t care. His mere bruising doesn’t even come close to what pain Peter has faced and still has yet to face. As time passed and Peter’s cries only grew more intense and heartbreaking by the minute, the father buried his face into his son’s messy curls and breathed in the faint scent of his shampoo. In this one night he had with Peter before the start of an entirely new hell, Tony wanted to engrain every possible detail about his boy into his memory. Because he knew, that even if he somehow, miraculously survived this torture… the kid, his son, would never be the same. After tonight, the Peter he so deeply loved would vanish with whatever remnants of hope they had left, like dust in the wind. Hours passed by like minutes, minutes passed by like seconds and the two had yet to say a word. Their iron grip on each other never let up. And as much as Tony wished he could stay like this forever, with Peter tucked safely in his arms… He knew they had to address their situation. Neither of them knew what to say or where to even begin. So Tony took the leap. As father to this beautiful boy, he owed it to him to be a stronghold for the kid as long as he needed him to be. It was the absolute least he could do, and yet, his only option. He took a deep breath in and said,

“… I’m sorry,” in a choked, quiet whisper into the boy’s chocolate locks. But of course, those words were all that was needed to grab Peter’s attention.

“W-What?” He stuttered as he drew away and looked the man in the eyes.

“I… am so sorry… Peter,” he cried. “This is all my fault. I- I should’ve done more. I was supposed to protect you, keep you safe! What kind of a hero am I if I can’t even keep my own intern safe? My own son safe!?” He cried. “I… I failed you, Peter… In every way possible, I failed you. As a mentor, as a hero… as a father… I failed you.” Tony bowed his head and stared at the floor as he awaited the kid’s response.

“Wh- What are you talking about?” He whispered in a broken voice; tear tracks carved into his cheeks. He slowly leant down to find his father’s somber gaze. When Tony lifted his head in response, the kid found tears on his cheeks to match. Tony quickly looked away from Peter’s pleading eyes.

“It’s okay Peter, really. You have every right to be angry at me. Hell, you should want nothing more to do with me at this point. I know I don’t. You’ve already blessed me with far more than I deserve,” he said with heartbreak in his voice. Peter, on the other hand, looked like he’d just been struck in the face, shock written all over him.

“… You think I’m angry at you?” Tony looked back at him, just as shocked.

“Well… yeah, I mean… How could you not be? Look what I’ve gotten you into, kid,” he gestured to their vibranium cell.

“Dad… You and I both know it was my own foolishness that got us into this mess, not you.” Tony looked ready to interrupt but Peter just grew more serious and waved a finger at him. “I was the one that said we should check out that alleyway when my senses went off. I was the one that repeatedly said to keep going after you tried to have us leave multiple times.” Peter’s voice grew louder with every statement as he went on. “And most importantly… I was the one that went after Vulture even after you told me not to.” The kid’s eyes softened. “Don’t you see? …There isn’t a single part of this that is your fault. In fact, I should be thanking you. You were the one that always tried to protect me no matter what kind of trouble I managed to get myself into. No matter what I did, however many times I messed things up, even when I made things worse by trying to help, you were there.” His eyes met Tony’s again. “You were always there for me; even when no one else was… I mean… let’s face it. If you hadn’t been there to protect me all this time, I probably would’ve died ages ago still wrapped in my “onesie” from just trying to save kittens from trees,” he laughed as he added air quotations. Peter leaned forward again with an intensity in his eyes that couldn’t be argued with. “Why do you think I called you Dad?” The man’s eyes watered. “It’s not easy for someone to earn that title you know,” he laughed. “I mean… I never even called Ben that.” The kid scratched his head as blush flushed his cheeks. “So I guess what I’m trying to say is… If there was anyone that I would want by side through all this… It’s you… Dad.” Peter smiled up at Tony with his eyes closed, contrasting with the dried tearstains left behind. Tony was utterly speechless.

_“This kid,”_ He thought to himself. _“This scared, abused kid who is literally here fighting for his life in the midst of torture even I have never experienced… Is sitting in front of me with a smile on his face… comforting me. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”_ The man’s heart ached for the boy sat in front of him. Peter’s heart stopped twice already in the past however many days they’ve been trapped here… And yet, he still looks at the man with nothing but love in his eyes that burns like a flame. _“How could someone so young go through so much pain and still hold so much life in his gaze, so much kindness in his heart?”_ Tony wondered. It seems that while Tony had been fighting all this time to remain hopeful for Peter… it ended up being the other way around. Peter was the one giving Tony hope. And so it was… that a son lit a fire in a father’s heart like no other. Tony just snatched Peter up and held him close to his chest tighter than ever before.

“Okay kid, you win,” he said with a smile. He pulled Peter away and held the kid’s face in his hands, gently rubbing his thumb over the blood- crusted cut on his cheek. “What’s your plan? How are we getting out of here?” And just like that, with the blink of an eye, Peter’s inspired resolve crumbled, and his smile faded. He pulled away, his eyes to the ground.

“That’s just it…” He laughed sadly. “I don’t think _we_ are,” he said quietly as his teary gaze found Tony’s yet again and he smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “But you are.” Tony’s eyes started to water again too, just when he thought they had finally dried.

“W- What? Peter, no. No! I’m not leaving here without you. You know that.” And Peter did. Of course, he did.

“I don’t think you have much of a choice, Mr. Stark,” the kid said as he rubbed his neck nervously. Tony easily overlooked the switch in nicknames as his concern for Peter reached new heights.

“What? Peter, come on. What’re you saying? We’re getting out of here together, remember? I don’t care what that asshole says, I am not leaving here without you. I will gladly give up my life before I let that happen.” He lifts Peter’s quivering chin to look him in the eyes.

“Come on Mr. Stark… we need to be realistic. If anyone had any idea where we were, they would’ve found us by now. You and I both know that the chance of rescue decreases dramatically after the first 24 hours. And I’m pretty sure we’ve been here longer than 24 hours. You know as well as I that it’s miracle I’m even alive right now, after just two of these games!” Peter’s voice grew louder as the tears started to flow more heavily. He began to choke on his words with the increasing level of emotion. “You couldn’t do anything before… how can you possibly expect to be able to something now?” He paused to catch his breath. “I’m not gonna make it, Mr. Stark,” he said calmly. “But you will.” Whatever remained of the man’s heart broke at those words that fell from his boy’s lips.

“Peter… No.” Tears fell. “Don’t say that… Please.” He reached out to the kid in desperation but something in Peter suddenly snapped. He smacked the man’s away from him.

“No! You don’t understand! There’s no hope left for me, Mr. Stark! I’m going to die.” His whole body shook. “But you can go home! …You can… see Pepper again, and Rhodey too! You can… Talk to May… and Ned… and MJ,” Peter bawled, his words coming out in broken sobs. “Please, Mr. Stark. Dad. Please… They’re all I have. I need to know that you’ll be there for them. That you’ll… talk to them for me.” And suddenly… Tony knew where this was headed. Peter was saying his goodbyes. The kid hurriedly put his head to floor in a desperate plea. “Please… Mr. Stark… I’m not gonna make it out of here. But you will. And the only thing that matters to me now is knowing that they won’t have to worry anymore!” He cried. “So I’m counting on you, Mr. Stark! I need you to get out of here… and keep my family safe… and make sure they know how much I loved them.” Tony couldn’t miss how Peter spoke in past tense… as if he was already gone. The kid lifted his sorrowful gaze to the man before him. “Please… Dad… You can go home… And you can tell them how you made sure I was safe and loved. That I wasn’t alone. You can tell them all about how I became your son… and you became my dad.” Peter was crying into Tony’s arms now, the two holding each other in yet another iron-tight grip. “Please…Dad… Go home. Tell my family that they don’t have to worry anymore. My biggest fear was always… that I might hurt them somehow. May, Ned, MJ… They always worried about me being Spider-man. But now they don’t have to be afraid anymore… 'Cuz I’ll be safe… I’ll be with Uncle Ben… and my parents again.” Peter smiled in acceptance as he sniffled. He pulled away and looked at Tony. “Without you… they’ll never know. And by not knowing… they’d only be in more pain. Please, Dad… I need you to be my closure. I need you to be their closure. And maybe… in doing so… I can give bring you peace as well.” The kid wiped his nose on his arm as his tears slowed. “You did the best you could… you know that right? I need to make sure you know that this isn’t your fault. Please, Dad… I need you to say it.” The man slowly looked Peter in the eyes and released a heavy sigh.

“… It’s… not… my fault.” Peter only smiled in return, barely holding himself upright in a weak embrace.

“Right. It’s not.” Peter crawled his way into the man’s arms once more. “And Dad?” he asked. Tony sniffled.

“Yeah, Pete?”

“Thank you… For- For everything.”

“Of course, kid.”

“I’m sorry I have to go…”

“Me too… But it’s not your fault either, bud… The world is just too cruel a place for one Peter Parker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said... pure heartbreak. :)


	9. The Calm Before the Storm

More time passed now to the point where both of them started to grow more and more paranoid, waiting for the door to their cell to fly open at any given moment. Neither of them had been able to get any sleep since their last conversation ended purely out of wanting to spend as much time together as possible. That and no matter how much Peter hated to admit it… not even closing his eyes could free him for this nightmare anymore, he saw his horrid experiences flash there behind his eyelids too. So for as long as they could, the two spent every second they had held tight in each other’s arms. And finally, Tony knew they could no longer avoid the dreaded topic. He breathed out a heavy sigh, and with it, whatever remnants of optimism he had left.

“Well kid… You know I don’t wanna say it but… it’s time. We can’t put it off any longer.” He pulled the tender child from his chest and looked softly into his eyes. “We need to come up with a plan. I mean… you know… Like Toomes said.” Peter lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Oh… right. You mean, what order should we go by,” he said quietly.

“Y- yeah… exactly. Peter… I know it doesn’t feel like it but… it’s up to you now bud,” he sniffed. “This is your decision… you can choose what you want to do.” Tony fought the ongoing lump in his throat. “You’ve heard what I think… Now it’s time for you to choose. You haven’t had this privilege the entire time we’ve been here and I know we’ve only got three options but… you finally have a say Pete.” Tony desperately wanted to look his kid in the eyes but Peter hadn’t move since his gaze met the floor. “Peter… Please… I need you to look at me bud. Let me see those beautiful brown eyes of yours,” he said with a smile. Peter lifted his head to the man, his eyes full of pain. “Aye… there he is. There’s my handsome man,” Tony’s hand went to the kid’s chin as he laughed though his eyes leaked tears once more. His tone went serious and he cupped Peter’s beaten face in his hands. “It’s time, Peter…” He choked out the broken words. “It’s time for you to choose… do you want to live… or die?” And with that, Peter’s eyes leaked too. Tony didn’t hesitate to brush away the tears. “Do you want to keep fighting? Or are you ready to rest?” The two were sobbing in synchronicity now. They brought their foreheads together in a wholesome embrace. “No matter what you decide Peter… Please don’t go thinking… that I or anyone else would judge your decision. You are the strongest kid I know, Pete; the strongest _person_ I know! But you are still a kid… and no 15-year-old should ever have to go through what you’ve been through. No one, and I mean NO ONE would fault you for wanting it to end… before the worst is yet to come.” Their hold on each other only tightened. “I know you’re strong, kid… But even heroes have their breaking points… You need to ask yourself… How long are you capable of fighting this, Pete? You know how much you mean to me, kid; how important you are to everyone! But I need you to see it now more than ever. I need you to know that there isn’t a single thing I wouldn’t do for you, Pete. Not a damn thing. And I want you to keep fighting so badly, Pete. You have no idea what losing you would do to me…” The man cried out, resting his head on the kid’s shoulder. “But this fight isn’t mine to finish… It’s yours. And I know you don’t wanna die, kid. Of course, I know that… But I also can’t bear to see you suffer any longer. It’s killing me. Look, I would never EVER ask this of you Pete, but it seems we don’t have a choice.” He looked the kid in the eyes again. “So I ask you Spider-man… will you keep fighting for your life and hold out for me, for _us_ , as long as you can? …Or would you rather end it sooner rather than later? The choice is yours.” Peter was left utterly speechless. Minutes passed by with the kid sat perfectly still, face frozen with fear, tears slowly falling, hands shaking.

“I- I don’t…” He muttered.

“I know, kid. I know you’re scared. You have every right to be. But there is one thing I can promise you… I will be here with you, ever step of the way. I promise.” Peter broke out of his daze at that and looked the man in the eyes.

“I know… You’re always there… Always. And I’m…” His breathing intensified. “I’m Spider-man. And I want to live.” Tony couldn’t keep his smile at bay. “I will fight for my life. Not just for me; but for everyone else in it… I am Spider-man and more importantly… I am Peter Parker. With or without the suit… one thing’s for sure. No matter how many times I get hit…” Peter raises to his knees. “I always find a way…” He kneels on one knee. “To get back up.” He stands, shakily. “Because with great power… comes great responsibility. The world isn’t done with me yet… And my life isn’t over until I say it is!” The kid yells to the sky, a fire brewing inside of him. Tony was left in shock, his jaw drooping as he looked up at his boy from the concrete floor. In that moment, he saw a hero like no other. He saw Peter like he’d never seen him before. If he didn’t know it before, there was no doubting it now… You can take the boy out of the hero, but you can’t take the hero out of the boy. Not when that boy is one Peter Parker. And for the first time since their arrival in this hellhole, Tony cried not tears of sorrow but of joy as Peter beamed with a whole new level of determination. Without any further hesitation, he jumped up and scooped his boy into a iron-tight bear hug.

“Yes!! That’s it Peter!! That’s my boy!!” And suddenly… Peter laughed; genuinely, whole-heartedly laughed. And Tony never realized just how much he’d missed the sound of the kid’s laughter. “I’m so proud of you, Pete. I mean, I’m always proud of you but you know…” They pulled apart and the man ruffled his kid’s curly locks. Peter swayed, his rush of adrenaline depleting.

“I know there’s still a huge possibility that I’ll die in here,” he smiled, “But you can be damn sure I won’t go down without a fight.” Tony smiled back. “I will fight til my very last breath, no matter what. Didn’t I tell you I don’t break promises?” The kid smirked at the man. And just as Peter’s knees gave out, Tony caught him in a tight embrace and laughed.

“You never cease to amaze me, bud. Now… What’s your plan?” The two sat on floor together again so Peter could save his energy. Breathing heavily, he said,

“Well… it’s like you said before. I just gotta hold out for as long as possible to give everyone as much time as they need to find us. So, with that in mind… The most logical thing to do would be to save the worst for last… right?”

“Yeah, kid. That’s right. My thoughts exactly. So what do you think would be hardest for you to handle?”

“Oh, the vivisection for sure…” Peter looked to the floor again. “With my enhanced healing out for the count, that’ll be the worst one by a landslide. I mean, even if I had my healing right now, my immune system is still compromised because of this damn infection,” he said as he gestured with his badly cut arm. And then we gotta think about blood loss. And don’t even get me started on the pain. Without anesthetic, even just cracking my chest open like that could make my heart stop at this rate.” Peter suddenly stopped his rambling and looked over at Tony nervously. “Uh… look, Dad. I don’t wanna get your hopes up, and trust me I’m going to fight tooth and nail for as long as I can… But we still have to be realistic here. Because honestly, even though I refuse to just give up… it’ll be a miracle by all definitions if I make it out of here alive. So I need you to promise me something too, Dad.” He turned to face Tony properly. “Promise me, that no matter what happens to me… You’ll get out of here… and you’ll live your life. With or without me. Don’t you dare go doing something stupid just because I couldn’t hold on long enough. Promise me, Dad. Please.” Tony sighed heavily.

“Pete I..”

“Dad. Promise me.” He sighed again.

“Fine… I promise. But you better not leave me hanging, kid or I’ll kill you myself.”

“Oh, ha-ha very funny… Good to see some things never change, _Mr. Stark_.” He smirked. Tony pouted like a toddler at the use of formalities. “Oh, don’t you go starting that shit again,” he laughed. They both let out a heavy breath.

“Anyway… I guess that leaves electric shock or gas chamber for the first game.” Peter switched back to the gruesome topic as if they were discussing movies to watch, his lack of reaction both inspiring and scary. “I mean, I don’t know much about the two but from what I’ve heard… the two are pretty similar in how they effect the body. They both can lead to long-term brain damage if exposed for too long… that’s what worries me the most.” That was something that terrified Tony too… What if, after everything… Peter did make it out of here alive… would there be any long-term effects? Would he even be the same Peter he is now? “But as long as you bring me back as quickly as you can, that will minimize the damage. We just have to hope that’s enough. So, really, it’s a toss-up. But if nothing else, I’ve already been exposed to some level of electric shock, right? Who knows… maybe that means I’ll be able to handle it better somehow.” He turned towards the man. “I think that one should be first.” Tony just gave him a single quick nod in response.

“Alright, kid. I trust your judgement. So… electric shock, then gas chamber… then vivisection.” He counted them off on his fingers as he repeated them back to Peter. “Yupp… Now we just hope and pray that the team will make it here soon…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay even I needed a little bit of fluff, I'm not that cruel.
> 
> And with the next chapter... let the games begin!


	10. One Hand on the Dial, One Foot in the Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy, so very sorry for my sudden disappearance there. I'm an animation student and this past week was finals so I had literally no chance to write. But now I'm free and back at it again! That being said, I finally got around to writing a proper outline for this story as I didn't really know how I wanted this to end until recently... Soooo this story is going to be a lot bigger than I originally anticipated and it's going to be one hell of a roller coaster. So to everyone who's been with this story from Chapter 1, THANK YOU, and I hope you're all as excited as I am because this might just turn into a whole series. ;) I'll see how ya'll like it and we'll go from there. Anywayyyy... now for the chapter you've all been so desperately waiting for! *evil cackle* You're gonna love this. Or not. See you at the bottom!

The two occupants didn’t have to wait long before the door to their cell was thrown open yet again. And as Toomes marched in, the entire aura of the room changed. It was as if a massive storm cloud had drifted in with him and loomed up above them in anticipation.

“Alright you two! Time’s up! It’s the dawn of a new day, and I hope you’re as excited as I am!” Toomes announced. Peter and Tony just responded with mutual glares of steel. “Geesh… tough crowd. But hey, either way, I know I’m gonna have a blast.” He smirked. “So let’s not delay the fun any longer!” He crouched down in front of the boy. “What’ll it be then, kid? How shall we start this lil shindig, huh?” Peter’s stern glare never faltered.

“Electric chair,” he responded shortly.

“Ohhh we’re gonna dive right in, are we? Excellent! Let’s get to it then,” Toomes replied excitedly. Toomes’ men immediately brought in the required equipment. They brought over the metal cart from the wall and placed upon it what looked like a large battery with extended electrodes attached to it by wire. There were several wires, too many to count; and the sight immediately put both Peter and Tony on edge. It was in that moment, before Tony could even tighten his grip on the boy; Toomes snatched Peter up by his mutilated arm and quickly threw him back into his vibranium chair. The yank on his bloodied arm caused the kid to whimper and the cuffs slammed shut around his bruised wrists and ankles once more. Tony was already on his feet but before he could so much as raise his voice, the two goons had him in a chokehold as they forced him back into his own chair. As Toomes pulled the cart closer to the boy, everyone’s energy seemed to escalate. As the man prepared the electrodes before him and placed one after the other all over his chest, Peter’s brave façade began to crumble yet again. As his breathing intensified dramatically, his eyes never leaving Toomes’ hands as he worked; Tony did everything he could to speak words of reassurance his way. His efforts were futile, however, as Toomes placed the final two electrodes to Peter’s temples and directed his gaze to Tony now. Without saying a word, he plastered a malicious grin on his face as he slowly pulled the cart away from Peter and placed it in front of Tony instead.

“Wh- What is this? …What’re you doing?” Tony asked, his fear evident in his voice.

“Oh, Tony. Did you really think it would be that simple? All this time, I’ve allowed you to watch from the sidelines, but not this time Iron-Man!” Toomes laughed aloud as he whipped out a single key from his pants pocket. He slowly leaned down in front of the man and manually unlocked his left cuff. It released with a click and flew open, though Tony did not move. There was a moment’s pause and all that filled the room was silence. “Well go on then. Turn it on,” urged Toomes. Tony snapped his wide eyes to the man before him.

“What?! …You can’t be serious! No way in hell am I touching that thing!” He yelled. Across from him, Peter began to quiver in his seat, and the electrocution hadn’t even started yet. Toomes just laughed calmly in response to Tony’s outburst.

“Oh yes, you will. You will do exactly as I say, Stark, or I’ll kill him right now. It’s that simple… You don’t wanna be the reason your own son dies, do you?” He says teasingly. Tony’s eyes began to water.

“You… You can’t make me,” he cried. “I will not electrocute my own son!” And suddenly, Toomes snapped. He whipped out a gun from behind his back, where it must’ve been tucked into his belt the whole time and darted over to the kid. There he stood, tense with rage as he shoved the pistol hard into Peter’s temple, right atop where the electrode was placed. Now Tony, too, was quivering in his seat. Just when he thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse… Now he must be the one to directly cause harm to his own son. He must be the one to electrocute an innocent kid or their entire plan will have been for nothing. And with that, Tony realized… His worst nightmare and biggest fear was coming to life right before his eyes. Peter could die because of this… but this time, it would be by Tony’s own hand. His father’s hand, usually soft to the touch and overflowing with love, would now be the very thing to threaten Peter’s life. The two met each other’s eyes as tears fell and they knew fighting was pointless.

“Dad… It’s okay,” Peter said with a broken voice as the cold mouth of the pistol shook against his head. “Remember what I told you… None of this is your fault, okay? Remember that, Dad.” The two continued to cry as Tony failed to respond. The kid’s voice choked with tears as he tried to talk past the growing lump in his throat. “You have to do this, Dad. You don’t have a choice… It’s okay. I know you would never hurt me… I promise no matter what you do, you could never hurt me. There’s no other way, Dad. Please. I need you to do as he says,” the boy pleads.

“Peter I- I can’t… I can’t do this. Please Toomes, I’ll do anything! Anything but this! You can’t make me do this!” Tony’s cries only intensified.

“No! ENOUGH! …You will do as I say this instant, Stark, or I will not hesitate to blow his brains out,” he said as he roughly nudged Peter’s head with the gun. The two visibly shook in their seats. “You have until the count of three to turn that dial or I swear to God I will pull this trigger.” Tony looked down at his fist clenched where the cuff had been opened. He kept his head down as he tried to fight the building panic in his chest.

“Please… I’m begging you… Don’t make me do this.” Toomes clicked the pistol’s safety off.

“One.”

“Dad! Please! Just do as he says!”

“I can’t!”

“Two!” Peter let out a high-pitched whimper.

“NO!! PLEASE!!”

“THREE!” The room shook with the sound of a single gunshot. And it was followed by it a scream… from Peter.

“PETER!!” The kid threw his head back in a silent cry. As he whipped himself forward again, he curled inwards and took in the sight of his injury.

“HE SHOT ME!!” And Tony saw it too. There, just above the kid’s right knee was the bullet hole. His jeans were rapidly turning red as the wound bled too quick for comfort. Tony’s vision blurred at the sight before him.

“Oh my God,” he whispered.

“That was a warning. You have one final chance, Stark.” Toomes slowly placed the gun back at Peter’s temple. “I won’t miss a second time.” Tony lowered his head in defeat.

“…Okay… I’ll do it.” His quiet words cut through Peter’s pain-filled sobs. He snapped his head up at the sight of his broken mentor.

“Dad…” he said solemnly.

“Turn it on,” Toomes barked. “I won’t tell you again.” The father slowly brought his shaking hand up towards the battery. Silence filled the air as Tony placed his hand on the dial. “We’ll take things nice and slow,” Toomes said with a smile. “Start at notch 1,” he commanded.

“I’m so sorry Peter,” he whispered, a single tear ran down his cheek. He turned the dial to the first setting and Peter immediately tensed. His body went rigid and he threw his head back once more. His voice choked out a silent scream as he clenched his eyes shut.

_“It’s okay. It’s okay. I can do this. It’s not that bad… Only a little worse than how it felt when they first captured us,”_ he thought to himself. Toomes stalked circles around the boy as he squirmed in his chair, judging the scene like a work of art. A malicious grin worked its way onto the man’s face.

“Hmm… He seems to be taking it like a champ. Take it up a notch, Dad,” he barked in Tony’s direction. Tony closed his eyes as he slowly cranked the dial to 2. With that, Peter’s back arched even further as he tried to fight the increasing current coursing through his body. He tried not to scream, for his father’s sake, but he could only hold it back for so long. He shouted little short cries here and there as he tossed in his bindings. Tony could tell his kid was trying so hard to be brave. He was always putting the needs and wants of others above his own, that’s just who he was. And even as the kid stared death in the face, he still did his best to remain strong, for him. And that was what killed him the most. Not the actual act of dying itself, but the fact that even while dying… Peter still cared only for the safety of others. And now, that very heroism could be his downfall. Peter writhed helplessly in his chair, his foot slipping on the ever-growing pool of blood beneath him.

“3.” Commanded Toomes. Tony let out an audible sob as he turned the dial. He couldn’t watch. Peter screamed. He curled and uncurled his fingers and toes in desperation as the current consumed him. His hair began to grow damp with sweat, his eyes clenched shut tightly.

“4,” said Toomes almost mundanely.

“Oh, God.” Tony whispered. Peter’s screams intensified and he saw stars beneath his eyelids. The entire room itself seemed to hum with the level of electricity in the air. The overall volume amplified by Peter’s cries made Tony’s ears want to bleed as he kept his eyes to the ground.

“Hmmm… That’s it… Now we’re getting somewhere. 5,” said Toomes eagerly. Tony only whimpered with every command. “Oh, and Tony… I need you to watch.” Tony’s tears intensified.

“Oh, God, please don’t make me. Please. I can’t watch this.” Toomes’ voice grew stern.

“Turn the dial to level 5… and watch your kid scream. Do you want me to ask you again?” He threatened. With that Tony’s eyes popped open and he slowly lifted his head. His eyes, blurred by tears, landed on Peter solemnly as he turned the dial once more. With that, Peter began to reach his limits. His screams increased, but now he was gasping for air in between cries, struggling to breathe. His wrists and ankles bled from rattling against the cuffs and his mind emptied itself of all thought entirely. Focused on nothing but the increasing pain throughout his body. Toomes laughed at the sight before him. “6,” Tony’s heart ached but his mind grew numb. He had to block it out, if he allowed himself to fully process what his eyes were seeing, he would never recover.

“Please, Pete… Just hold on.” He prayed as he turned the dial. It was at this level where Peter’s screams began to fail, and his body began to seize. Tony knew what that meant. Peter’s brain was giving out. He couldn’t take much more, that was obvious. Seizures meant the brain wasn’t receiving enough oxygen because of an interruption to the electrical pulses in the brain, so of course they knew this might happen. But that doesn’t make witnessing it any less painful for Tony.

“Hmmm… I think we should up the ante a bit, don’t you? Let’s jump to level 10!” Toomes yelled excitedly.

“WHAT?! No!! He’ll die!! Look at him!! He can’t take it! Please!”

“Don’t you get it, Stark? That’s what I want!! NOW TURN IT TO TEN!”

“You can’t make me!! I won’t do it!!” Toomes laughed.

“Is that a challenge?” He took out his pistol once more and leveled it a Peter.

“Oh, God, PLEASE!! I AM BEGGING YOU! Don’t make me do this!” Toomes smiled and spoke calmly.

“Turn it… to 10. Now. I won’t tell you again.” Tony growled and sucked in rapid breaths in anticipation.

“I’m so sorry, Peter… Please forgive me.” He quickly turned the dial to level 10 and the room immediately vibrated in response. Peter let out his worst scream yet, guttural and raw. The room itself rattled, lights flickering and bulbs bursting. The electrodes and wires covering Peter’s body sparked dangerously. And with one final, loud zap, the room was enveloped in darkness… but what made it unbearable was the complete and utter silence that came with it. Not long after, the back up generators must’ve flipped on because the room lit up once again. But the sight that greeted Tony’s eyes would forever be ingrained into his deepest memories. Before him, Peter lay still in his chair, his body still twitching with occasional spasms. Tony couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. There were numerous scorch marks littering the kid’s body from head to toe. They where patterned wherever the electrodes were placed but also scattered randomly throughout. Literal smoke could be seen drifting off of the boy’s body, coming directly from the scattered burns and it made Tony sick to his stomach. The room even smelled like rotting flesh and something burning… and it killed Tony to know that that something was a someone named Peter Parker. The same Peter Parker who called him Dad.

“Well… that was fun!” Toomes clapped in finality. “You know the drill, Stark. Bring him back if you can. If you can’t, let me know and I’ll be happy to give it a go myself.” He winked at Tony. “He’s all yours, Dad.” He said as he and his men traipsed out of the room, Peter’s cuffs flying open the minute the door slammed shut behind them. Tony sighed. Whether it be out of sadness or exhaustion was yet to be discovered. All he knew was that he hated this part the most… Wondering if he’d be able to bring his kid back from the brink of death only for the promise of more torture to come…. And the inner turmoil that came along with almost wishing he wouldn’t come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhhh... don't say I didn't warn you. I mean, if it wasn't already obvious with the mention of vivisection... this story is going to be consistently graphic so please be careful and stay aware of the tags. I will be adding more with each new chapter. On that note, I can almost guarantee you this story will not end the way you think it will so get excited for a very angsty journey folks! :) 
> 
> Also, as a reward for everyone's continued patience and support with this being my first fanfic, I will be posting more tonight so stay tuned!!


	11. Remember Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Here's another chapter as promised! Enjoy the teensy bit of fluff while you still can. :) 
> 
> Also... Whatever you do... Do not listen to the Marley & Me soundtrack while reading this chapter.  
> Just don't.  
> Yeah... you know what scene I'm talking about.  
> DON'T DO IT. 
> 
> I cried while writing this. 
> 
> On that note, ENJOY YOU ANGSTY BABIES! :)

Tony knew that the only way to revive a shock victim was with more electricity, with a defibrillator. So with only a moment’s hesitation, he went straight for it. But it was what was left of the scene for Tony to cleanup that had the man lose his composure. This was the first time out of all the games that he actually had something more to do than just revive the kid… The entire room was proof of that. Broken glass littered the floor, blood still slowly dripped from Peter’s knee, the kid’s abused body still smoking in places. But for some reason, Tony found his eyes stuck on the electrodes still meticulously placed on Peter’s skin. They had delivered so much pain… so much raw energy into the kid and yet, they remained. It was almost as if they sat there taunting him, like a mockery of their entire predicament. They said, _“Yup, Peter might survive but no matter what, the memories… the trauma…the scars… will always serve as a permanent reminder.”_ The man broke down and fell to his knees beside Peter’s chair, the defibrillator clattering next to him. He slowly curled into a ball, placed his forehead to concrete and cried in complete silence. Tony was so sick and tired of crying. He was sick and tired of feeling so utterly helpless and shedding tears while sitting on the sidelines of it all felt like adding salt to the wounds. Tony brought his hands up to yank at his hair in anger. He hated feeling sorry for himself when Peter was the one taking the brunt of the pain. If there’s anything that this experience has given them it’s proof that the true hero here is Peter… not him. Again, and again, and again… Peter has faced this endless torment with a brave face and a determination to survive, not for himself, but for the ones he loves. And for every added second spent watching it take place, Tony couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever be able to summon any amount of strength and courage that could rival the kid’s. As his tears watered the concrete, Tony sluggishly lifted himself up off the ground, grabbed the defibrillator and got to work. He had one job and that was to bring Peter back as quickly as possible and he knew he couldn’t afford to waste even a moment more. So with tears still running down his cheeks, he hurriedly peeled the electrodes from Peter’s pale skin one by one, wincing at the scorch marks beneath them.

“I’m sorry Peter. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered aloud. He sniffled and wiped his wet nose on his arm. “Just come back to me kid, please.” After the electrodes were taken care of, Tony carefully placed one hand under Peter’s neck and the other under his knees and laid him onto the floor as gently as possible. He eagerly checked the kid over… No pulse. His body moved before he could even think and soon enough the defibrillator pads had been placed on the kid’s still chest, ready for action. This was the very last thing Tony ever wanted to do, but he had no choice. The machine took only a moment to set the charge and he pressed the button. Peter’s body jolted off the floor before falling flat once more. Tony quickly checked for signs of life… Still nothing. He began compressions. “Come on, kid. Don’t tease me like this. It’s time to wake up now!” The defibrillator charged once more, and the kid’s body jolted a second time. The vicious cycle continued. He checked Peter’s condition, nothing… Chest compressions while the machine set another charge. Let the defibrillator do its thing. _**JOLT**_. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. “Oh God, kid PLEASE! Come back to me!” Tony couldn’t recall it taking this long to bring Peter back before… _“Where is he?!”_ He wondered. He took one hand and brushed it over Peter’s clammy forehead, just pleading for some kind of reaction. _“It shouldn’t be taking this long, why hasn’t he woken up yet?!”_ The man began to panic as the defibrillator charged once more. _**JOLT**_. Nothing… Minutes passed by and Tony’s concern only escalated as he continued his compressions. “Come on kid. Don’t you do this to me. Not like this.” It charged again and, _**JOLT**_. But this time Peter didn’t fall flat afterwards. An audible, struggling gasp brought the boy to life and Tony literally jumped for joy, smiling ear to ear. “YES!! OH, THANK GOD!!” He cried as he enveloped the boy in his arms… or at least, he tried to. But as he reached for the kid, Peter scrambled away in fear, terror in his eyes. Whatever remained of Tony’s heart shattered in an instant. They both froze. “Pete… Kid… H- Hey, it’s me… You know me.” He slowly inched his way towards Peter, like he was some kind of wild animal that might run away with one wrong move. Their eyes met… But in the kid’s, where recognition once shone, only fear reflected back at the man. And in that moment… Tony knew… the Peter he once knew and loved… was not the Peter that sat before him, quivering in trepidation. That Peter… his Peter would never shy away from a loving touch. This Peter… didn’t even recognize the man in front of him and it hurt like no other. With the kid distracted by their stare, Tony’s hand successfully reached his cheek and Peter flinched. However, he didn’t shy away enough for Tony to pull his hand away and once the two finally made contact… Tony could feel the tension seep from Peter’s body. “Pete? It’s me, kid… It’s Tony.” The kid leaned into his father’s touch and blink by agonizing blink, recognition slowly found its way into Peter’s memory. He sluggishly brought a hand up and placed it atop the man’s as he held him. It was quiet between them… too quiet. Peter’s tired eyes found Tony’s once more, tears fleeing from them as he took in the sight. He tried to talk but the only sound that escaped was a rattled whisper.

“T- Tony?” The man smiled sadly. “…M- Mr… Stark?” His spirit’s lifted. And suddenly, Peter’s grip on Tony’s hand tightened and he cried. “…Dad?” Tony cried right back and pulled the kid into a tight embrace.

“Y- Yeah, kid. That’s me. I’m here. I’m here.” Peter sobbed into his shoulder.

“Dad!”

“It’s okay, bud. I’m not gonna hurt you, I promise. I am so… so sorry Peter.” The two just rocked back and forth in each other’s arms, thinking of nothing but their hold on each other. Tony placed a kiss atop the kid’s dirtied locks. Other than their shared tears, the two remained speechless for a long period of time, just content to be together again. Peter was the first to break the silence, once he finally ran out of tears.

“I love you,” he whispered. The statement shook Tony to the core and he quickly pulled away.

“Wh- What?” He whispered in return; shock written all over his face. Peter looked up at him submissively. “Wh- What did you just say?” Asked the man.

“I… I said… I love you,” Peter replied nervously. The man let out an audible sob, but the smile that spread across his face spoke of his true feelings.

“Oh, Peter…” He pulled the kid back into his chest. “I love you too… I love you so much it hurts.” The two simply sat together for as long as possible… Until Peter’s pain overwhelmed him and he let out a pained gasp. With his left side leaned into Tony, he peered down at his injured right knee, splayed out before him in a matching pool of blood.

“Oh, God… Dad,” he cried. “Ah… It hurts,” his hand hovered just above the bullet hole. And just like that, Tony’s attention flipped on a dime.

“Shit, right. Okay. Here… Lay down for me okay? I’ll try to figure something out. We at least have to stop the bleeding.”

“Okay,” Peter complied. With the gunshot to his knee serving as a reminder, pain was now the only thing on Peter’s mind. “Ugh, God. Dad… Everything hurts,” he sniffled. “Everything hurts.”

“I know kid, I know. I promise you, I’m doing everything I can. Just stay still for me, okay bud?” Peter took a deep breath in.

“Okay… I’ll try.” Tony delicately inspected the wound with a closer eye, taking the fabric of Peter’s jeans between his fingers where the bullet tore through.

“Okay, bud, I’m gonna try to tear off a piece of your jeans so we can make a tourniquet. Just try to stay as still as you can for me, okay? I’ll do my best not to bump you,” Tony spoke calmly.

“Okay, Dad.” Peter’s breathing sped up in anticipation. He heard the tear of the fabric and fought not to squirm.

“Got it. Okay, Pete… Here comes the hard part. This is gonna hurt like hell, kid, so you do whatever you have to to get through it, okay? Punch, cry, scream as loud as you want, just try not to move the leg.” Tony looked up at his kid before continuing. “Ready, kid?” Peter bit his lip and nodded quickly without lifting his head. “Okay, on three… One… Two… THREE!” Tony yanked on the knot trying the tourniquet around Peter’s thigh as tightly as possible. Peter screamed instantly and flailed like a fish out of water. The sound rang in the man’s ears. He wondered if he’d ever be able to forget it. Peter continued to cry and squirm in Tony’s grasp. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He muttered. “Almost done…” In his fight against the pain, Peter slammed his first down onto the concrete as hard as he could where they both startled at the loud _**CRAC** **K**_. They froze, taking in what had just happened. Peter slowly turned his head towards the crack in the floor.

“Well, that’s new.” He looked up at Tony and noticed that he had finished tying the tourniquet. “Oh, thank God, you’re done,” he sighed and let himself fall back onto the floor in relief.

“What just happened?” asked Tony, eyes wide.

“Honestly… I have no clue,” Peter replied. “I didn’t even know I could do that… I thought the drug had sapped all my strength?” The kid looked just as curious as him. Peter brought his right hand up, the same hand that had crushed the concrete just now and inspected it closely. He clenched his hand into a fist and unclenched it over and over, trying to see if he felt any different. “Weird… I don’t feel any stronger than before?” He looked to Tony as he sat up. “Maybe the drug’s wearing off?” He asked the man.

“Hmm…” Tony squinted suspiciously. “Maybe… But whatever it is, we can’t do anything about it now. Let’s just try to keep this on the down low incase the drug really is wearing off… Maybe that means you have a better chance of survival than we thought.” Peter looked back down at his hand.

“I hope so…”

“Alright, kid, come here. Let me take a look at you.” Peter carefully scooted himself towards Tony as the man inched his way towards him. The man took Peter’s head in his hands and gently turned it side to side as he analyzed the burns on his temples. “Fuck, kid. This doesn’t look good… Are you feeling okay? I mean… you know… all things considered. How’s your head feel?” Tony questioned. He cautiously brushed one of the burns with his finger and Peter flinched hard.

“Ah… Sorry,” He hesitated. “I- I’m okay. But my head still hurts.” He brought his own hand to his head as Tony lowered his. “My whole body’s sore and it… hurts to move. I’m just really stiff I guess.” Tony sighed.

“It’s okay, kid. I know… I wish I could do more.” He reached out for Peter. “But you don’t gotta move, okay? Here… I’ll lay down right here with you. You can rest your head on my chest and I’ll keep you warm… Beats this rutty concrete, right?” Peter visibly relaxed.

“Yeah… Thanks, Dad.” The two laid down together and Peter melted into Tony’s chest, wrapping himself carefully around his father. Once they had settled and gotten as comfortable as they could, Peter closed his eyes as exhaustion set in.

“Hey, Pete?” He looked down at the soft image of the kid curled into him. Peter hummed in response. “Can we talk about what happened earlier? When you first woke up, I mean… Do you remember?” The kid opened his eyes and raised them to Tony. He simply nodded, sadness in his eyes. “What happened there, bud? …You didn’t… You didn’t recognize me at all… Did you?” Peter lowered his head back down and shook it side to side.

“No…” He spoke so softly, Tony had to strain to hear. “I couldn’t remember anything.” Peter nuzzled further into his father’s side.

“Oh, kid.” The man sighed and tightened his grip on his son. “That was the scariest thing I’d ever seen, Pete… I thought I lost you for a moment there… Wh- What was it that snapped you out of it? Do you know?” Peter thought on it for a moment.

“…I can’t say for sure but… I think it was… when you touched me.” He brought his eyes back up to meet his father’s. “It was weird… It was like- like a switch just flipped in my brain and everything just came rushing back.” He lowered his head again. “It was like my life flashed before my eyes in a big blur… and then I just opened my eyes and suddenly, I knew who you were… But, for those few minutes where my mind was just blank… There was nothing but pain, it was all I knew. I didn’t know who you were,” His eyes grew teary and his voice broke. “I didn’t know who I was… I couldn’t remember… anything. I was so scared,” he sobbed into Tony’s bare chest. Tony had no words to describe how he was feeling in that moment. So he said nothing. He just held his kid to him as tightly as possible as one tear after another slowly fell from his eyes. Unlike Peter just not waking up… This was a whole new type of torture; watching Peter disappear right before his eyes. It was just another reminder that even if Peter did survive this… and that’s a big _IF_ … Tony could still lose his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who left this bowl of onions here?!


	12. A Broken Facade

An indeterminable amount of time later, Tony awoke to sounds of a struggle. He immediately looked to where Peter was last seen, cradled in his arms, only to find them empty. He instantly panicked and darted his eyes around the room.

“Pete?! Peter?!” He yelled. The sound of harsh, wet coughs signaled the kid’s location, in the far corner of the room. Too far away from Tony for comfort, immediately planting a seed of worry in his chest. “Pete? …What’re you doing way over there all by yourself?” He spoke softly out of fear of startling the kid as he crept towards him. “You know I get lonely without my spider-baby”- He was interrupted by the vile sounds of retching as Peter’s silhouette squirmed before him. “Oh shit, kid. What is it? What’s wrong?” Tony quickly laid a gentle hand on the kid’s bare back, rubbing soothing circles as he spoke with urgency. It was then that he noticed just how badly Peter’s spine protruded beneath his fingertips. His mind connected the dots for him with the added sounds of Peter’s sickness. “…Oh…” Both of them had chosen to ignore the obvious the entire time they’d been here, focusing instead on the more dire issues at hand. But now, it seemed there wasn’t anything Peter could escape from. Every little detail was beginning to pile up to create the absolute worst recipe for disaster. Neither of them had been given any semblance of sustenance during their stay here, but up until now… That was the least of their concerns. Or at least it was for Tony. For Peter, on the other hand, starvation and dehydration were different hurdles entirely. And now, it seems that ignoring them for so long had allowed these problems to prove themselves with a vengeance, and Peter… As per usual… Was receiving the worst of it.

“Dad…” He coughed. “I don’t feel so good…” Peter had one arm wrapped tightly around his stomach, while the other fought shakily to hold him up as he wavered on his injured knee. He whimpered as tears began to fall yet again. Tony took this moment to fully analyze the extend of his kid’s condition. His eyes began to fill with tears of their own as he took in every detail. Peter was beginning to look less and less like a 15-year-old boy and more like a plague-ridden zombie. His skin had this horrible pallor to it with hints of green in the worst places. Dried splatters of blood and black goop littered him from head to toe. Peter’s entire right side looked like it had been through a blender, both his knee and his arm swollen dramatically. Those two injuries seemed to be the worst of it, but there wasn’t an inch on the kid that hadn’t been beaten, cut, or burned. Even the cut that Toomes gave him on his cheek had barely scabbed over, providing a testament to just how poor the kid’s health had gotten. Normally, Peter’s enhanced healing would’ve taken care of a cut like that within seconds. That brought Tony’s mind back to the horrid cut down Peter’s arm that only seemed to worsen by the minute. There was no doubt left that the wound had become infected and Tony didn’t even want to imagine what that meant for the kid. The arm was mottled with a range of colors from dark purples to vivid greens and oozed to the touch. It had to be excruciating to move it and yet, Peter’s stomach was so desperate for nutrients that it demanded he clench it somehow. The kid’s pain-filled whimpers grew louder as he tried to fight the urge to vomit. Though even doing so brought no relief. All that came up was more black-filled blood and bile. Peter’s body was destroying itself from the inside out. Then suddenly, the kid collapsed onto his left side as his arm gave out.

“Shit! Peter!” Tony jumped into action beside him. Peter just laid there, breathing heavily as he fought to remain conscious. The man tapped lightly at the kid’s cheeks, trying to keep him awake. “Hey, hey, hey, kid! Don’t fall asleep, Pete! Not a good idea right now!” He panicked as he received no response from Peter. His eyes fell closed and all fight fled the kid’s body in an instant. “Pete! PETER! HEY! Oh no, no, no, no, no,” he cried. His hands automatically flew to Peter’s neck and this time relief overwhelmed him. For once, Peter’s heart beat there beneath the man’s frantic fingertips and he let out a heavy sigh in response. “Oh, thank God. He’s only passed out.” His head fell as breathed in deep. Tony gently turned Peter so that he was laying flat on his back, hoping to provide more comfort as he sat there beside him. He kept a watchful eye on Peter’s chest, monitoring every shaky breath as if it were a beacon of hope. Because it was. As long as Peter was alive, Tony had all the hope he needed. As he watched with eager eyes, Tony’s mind wandered. He found him scouring the details he had so easily overlooked before. They were right there, written all over the kid’s face this entire time. How did he not notice it? Peter’s cheekbones jutted out more than he remembered. Large, black stains hung beneath Peter’s sunken eyes. His face bared every sign imaginable of what Peter was truly going through. His lips were chapped raw from lack of water. How he managed to even cry anymore was beyond him. Tony once more rested his head on Peter’s struggling chest, taking in the sounds of every rattled breath. “I’m sorry, Peter. I’m so sorry. I’m right here. I’ll never leave you, kid. I promise.” He cried. “Just hold on, son. Just keep fighting. We’re gonna get out of here, eventually. I know we will! …We have to. I can’t watch you die here… Not anymore.” He sniffled. “Just stay, Pete. Please… Stay with me.” The man simply wrapped his arms tightly around Peter’s cold, sweaty form like an anchor. Eventually, Peter woke up. It took him a few minutes to fully come back to himself, his mind still muddled. But once his head cleared, his eyes found Tony’s and they shared a wordless smile. A sad one… but a smile, nonetheless. “Hey, Pete… Feeling any better?”

“Not really…” He lowered his gaze to the floor. Now that Peter had the strength to sit up, Tony sat across from him and placed a comforting hand on the boy’s uninjured knee. Their eyes met. Tony spoke so softly, yet Peter held onto every word.

“Stay strong, bud. You’ve fought so hard and I am SO VERY proud of you. No matter what it takes, just keep fighting, Pete. We can do this.” Peter surprisingly didn’t shed a tear at the heartfelt sentiment. He simply nodded in response and lowered his gaze once more. Tony’s smile fell at that. He knew it wasn’t intentional, but Peter’s sudden lack of hope, of affection, of _life_ … It hurt Tony to the very core. He could only hope this wasn’t the beginning of something worse. And just like that, their time together was brought to an end. Toomes threw the heavy door open and traipsed in with the same level of excitement he always had. The sudden action startled Tony out of his thoughts but Peter… Peter had hardly even reacted. The kid still had his eyes to the floor in front of him, remaining completely closed off. It frightened Tony to no end so see his kid so distant and yet so close at the same time.

“Alright you two, fun’s over. I’m bored. Ready for your next game, Pete?” Toomes asked eagerly. Peter still didn’t move. Tony had to do something. He reached out a gentle hand and lifted Peter’s chin until their eyes met.

“Hey… Stay strong… Okay?” He smiled as he spoke softly. Peter’s lip twitched upwards in an attempt at a smile, but it would have to do. He could barely even look Tony in the eye in that moment. And Tony knew… Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Peter was giving up. Somewhere between yesterday’s game and now, Peter’s last remnants of hope had vanished. But this time… It seemed that no matter what Tony tried to do to bring it back, his attempts were futile. He thought he had seen Peter broken before… but this was a Peter he had never seen… This Peter was beyond broken and he wondered… Was there any chance of getting him back? Or had Peter truly been lost to him. Toomes smirked at the kid’s lack of response.

“Put him in the chamber,” he barked at his two goons and they wordlessly did as commanded.

“Oh, no, no, no. Please! Don’t! Don’t take him! Please!” Peter didn’t move a muscle, but Tony still did everything he could to fight off the two men. Granted, he wasn’t able to do much and he knew that, but he still had to try. He at least wanted Peter to see that there was still a reason to fight. But no matter what he did, no matter how much he pleaded, they still managed to pry the kid out of Tony’s arms without too much struggle. Peter was like a limp ragdoll in his captor’s hold as he was dragged into the glass chamber. The man carelessly threw the kid into the center of the cell and left. Tony cried out to the kid as much as he could before the door cut him off. “PETER! DON’T GIVE UP, PETE! I LOVE YOU!” Peter still barely moved as he laid there on the cold floor, behind the glass wall that separated them. He watched helplessly as they cuffed Tony into his chair and turned it to face him once more. Then a thought occurred to him… This would be his last time in this damn glass chamber. His last time being separated from Tony. For better or for worse, he would never have to face these four walls of death again after today. With that realization, a weight lifted off Peter’s chest and he slowly closed his eyes in relief. Chaos continued beyond the glass wall in front of him, but from where he laid… It was silent, the air dense with an aura of finality. And Peter relaxed. He knew there was no sense in fighting the inevitable. Not anymore. But… while he laid there hopelessly waiting for his next round of torture, he knew in the back of his mind, that no matter how badly he wanted to give up… No matter how much he longed for rest… He promised his father he would keep on fighting until the very end. Yes, he lacked the will the live… that much was true. His body simply had nothing left to give. But his father, stuck there in front of him, past inches of glass, carried enough determination for the both of them. Peter opened his exhausted eyes and found Tony and did everything he could to hold onto that determination that so heavily radiated off of him, hoping that it would be enough to bring him back. He couldn’t fight his impending doom anymore… but he could still fight to come back afterwards. Or at least… that was what he hoped. Peter knew this was his only option. Soon enough his cell erupted with the sound of release as the vents in the ceiling sprayed out the deadly gas. Peter slowly reached out his right hand and placed his fingertips lightly on the glass, a silent cry for help. He couldn’t hear a thing from outside the glass, but he could see his father failing to bits at the tiny gesture. Peter clenched his eyes shut and curled his fingers into a fist as he waited for his demise. He couldn’t watch his only remaining symbol of hope fall apart in what could be his final moments… especially not if he was going to fight his way back. He had to know that he still had his hero father to come back to. For him, he would always come back. No matter what. And suddenly, pain drew him out of his thoughts. His chest hurt, to the point where every breath brought stabbing pain. He brought his hand to his chest as he struggled. His mouth opened and closed desperately as he found it harder and harder to breathe.

_“Whatever happens, just come back. Come back for Dad. You have to. Just come back for Dad,”_ he repeated to himself. He turned onto his back, arching it off the ground as breathes grew more and more shallow each time. His hands slapped helplessly at the ground and his feet kicked out. His body fought with everything it had left, even though he knew it was pointless. And finally, the tears flooded out again as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he started seizing. His body convulsed painfully, and he couldn’t even scream out for help. Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, he vomited on himself, foam pouring out of his mouth. His body was no longer under his control. Now he was choking in more ways than one and he couldn’t do a single thing about it. It only took a matter of minutes, but to Peter… it felt like years before he was doused in darkness once more. His body fell limp and his mind was lost to him. Tony on the other hand was livid throughout the entire thing, as was to be expected. But now, the same sense of dread washed over him just like it did at the end of every game. He knew there was nothing else to do other than repeat the same horrid process he had ingrained into his muscle memory. One man opened the door to the glass chamber once the vents had closed, the other reset the defibrillator as needed, and set out a single folded towel. And with that, Toomes and his two helpers walked out, the door slammed shut and Tony’s cuffs flew open. Only this time, Tony didn’t hesitate to rush to Peter’s aid. It was all up to him now. It was time for Tony to do his job as his son’s guiding light yet again. He just hoped it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyye, two chapters in one night! Look at me go! 
> 
> We got one more game on the list, guys... Any thoughts on where this could be headed? ;)   
> Will Peter survive to his third and final test of wills? Will Toomes be left to execute Peter himself and humiliate the entire team? Speaking of the team... Will they make it in time to save Peter or are they already too late? 
> 
> I wanna hear everyone's theories! Stay excited, angsty babes! :)


	13. Forgotten Memories Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW!! This one's a doozy, ya'll, not gonna lie. My heart hurt with every sentence, no joke, so brace yourselves...
> 
> The chapter we've all been waiting for (or dreading entirely) is next!   
> Hold onto your butts, folks, 'cuz you're in for one wild ride. 
> 
> And you thought it was angsty before...

Once he’d fallen to Peter’s side, Tony froze instantly. Just when he thought he’d seen it all after each of these games, his heart sank at the sight before him, for this time; there was one crucial difference. Peter’s eyes were open. They stared lifelessly up at the ceiling, frozen in time. The sight unnerved Tony to no end. Peter’s eyes were something he always loved with every fiber of his being. The little pools of honey that reflected in the sunlight and sparkled whenever Peter talked excitedly about the things he loved. They were a part of Peter that he never wanted to forget… and now, he sat here pleading with whatever entity could be watching that he could somehow rid himself of the picture before him. Although they were still Peter’s eyes… Peter wasn’t there. Though they stared straight ahead, they saw nothing. The light that once resonated within those chocolate irises, reflecting the boy’s very identity… Was gone, empty. Just like Peter. And Tony now found himself fighting to keep his composure. He could feel the panic rising in his chest, a tightness keeping him from taking proper breaths as he began to hyperventilate. He fell backwards onto the floor, one hand to his chest in pain. His mind flashed countless memories of the many different scenarios he had watched Peter undergo day after agonizing day. He didn’t even realize he was crying again until he felt the tiny droplets hit his hand.

_“Oh, God. Don’t do this, Tony. Not now. You have to fight it! Peter needs you! He needs you to bring him back, you can’t panic now! You have to fight it! Block it out! Do whatever you have to do, just BRING HIM BACK!”_ He battled with himself. With those few thoughts, he managed to snap himself out of his panic attack. Taking shaky, deep breaths, he slowly brought one hand up to Peter’s eyes and closed them as his tears continued. Immediately, with his hand still covering Peter’s eyes, Tony placed a kiss on the kid's forehead.

“I love you, Peter. I’m gonna bring you back, I promise,” he said without a doubt as he got started. He quickly picked the kid up in a bridal carry and brought him over to where the towel and defibrillator sat. “Okay, okay, okay… Uhhhh… First thing’s first, clear the airway,” he muttered to himself. “I’m sorry, Pete, I’m sorry,” he cringed aloud as he opened the kid’s mouth and carefully stuck two fingers down his throat and tipped his head to the side as he eradicated the vomit from his airway. Once he felt like he’d successfully gotten it all, he grabbed the worn towel and haphazardly wiped himself and Peter. “And chest compressions…” He said to himself as he tipped Peter’s head back and placed his fists in the center of the kid’s chest. Thirty steady compressions later, Tony pinched Peter’s nose and gave two deep breaths. He checked for signs of life… Nothing. “Damnit,” he said as repeated the cycle. Eventually Tony found himself working on autopilot, as his only focus was on bringing Peter back. He didn’t even need to think, his body just meticulously followed the vicious cycle without any hesitation. Minutes later, after countless rounds of CPR, Tony’s arms were shaking hard and his resolve grew weaker as the sweat dripped from his chin.

_“Fuck, kid, come on. You always do this. Why you gotta make me wait so long? You know my old, achy heart can’t take it.”_ His exhaustion grew stronger, but he refused to stop. “God damnit, Peter PLEASE!!” He yelled aloud as he desperately banged on the kid’s chest over and over and over, just begging for some kind of response. He knew at this point that if Peter didn’t come back soon, the damage done to his brain would be too much. He was running out of time. He checked for a pulse… Still nothing. He let an angry growl. “FUCK!!” He desperately continued his compressions. “Please, please, please…” He cried as he gave two more breaths. One hand on the kid’s pulse point, the other sweeping Peter’s messy locks off his forehead as he placed a quick kiss there. “You’re not dead… You’re okay. You’re gonna come back to me. I know you will… You always come back,” He cried softly. Still no response. Tony released a guttural sob. “PETER!!” He banged on his chest. “COME BACK TO ME!!” Then suddenly, the intercoms Tony had completely forgotten existed erupted with Toomes’ booming voice.

“Having trouble there, Stark? Shall I… assist?” Tony panicked even more, and gripped Peter tightly.

“No!! No! I’ll bring him back! I promise,” He yelled to the ceiling. _“I promised, Peter. You promised…”_ He said to himself as he continued to cry.

“You have one more minute, Stark. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll be forced to take matters into my own hands,” Toomes announced calmly.

“Oh, God. Please, Peter!!” He sobbed as he worked as hard as he possibly could, his arms eager to give out. Those sixty seconds flew by in an instant and the next thing Tony knew, Toomes had thrown open the door yet again, except this time he was alone. He knew Tony was too weak to fight him off.

“Times up, Stark. Back off. It’s my turn now,” he said with a malicious grin as he flicked open what looked to be a large cattle prod. With the press of a button, the two small prongs at the end flickered to life violently and Tony jumped.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he spoke with a nervous smile. “We can just use the defibrillator! I haven’t even tried that yet,” Toomes laughed loudly.

“Oh Tony, you and I both know that at this point, it’ll be a miracle if the kid comes back at all. And even if he does come back, his brain would be too far gone. You have to have realized that by now… So, I say, why not have a little more fun in the meantime?”

“Toomes, please, I’m begging you! Don’t do this!” Tony clamped his hands together in a plea for mercy. But Toomes just whipped his weapon up to stop just under Tony’s chin. It flickered there threateningly.

“Step. Away. Stark… Unless you wanna end up just like him?” Tony raised his hands up in surrender and quivered. He knew that no matter what, he needed to be strong for Peter. He refused to accept the idea of Peter not coming back. He promised.

“O-Okay… Just… Please… Please, I’m begging you… Don’t do any more harm than necessary.” The villain only smirked over his shoulder in response. Toomes lowered the weapon slowly over Peter’s still, vulnerable chest.

“Clear,” He mocked as stabbed the boy, his body immediately arching up off the ground, quivering there as Toomes held the prod in place. Tony fought every muscle in his body not to attack as he cried his eyes out. Toomes pulled away after a minute or so, and Peter’s body dropped hard back onto the concrete. Lifeless. No movement. That was all the response Toomes needed. “Wakey, wakey, _spider-baby_ ,” he teased. He struck again. Peter’s body tensed again as it convulsed endlessly.

“Peter…” Tony whispered as he watched helplessly. After what felt like forever, Toomes pulled away and Peter smacked back down yet again. Except this time, his body exploded with life as he hit the floor. He gasped in one painful breath after another and curled in on himself. “OH MY GOD, PETER!! THANK GOD!!” Tony sobbed as he darted towards the boy. But he hardly moved an inch before Toomes turned on him, his weapon yet again, staring Tony in the face.

“Ah- ah- ah…” Toomes taunted with a grin.

“W- What? …He’s back. You brought him back. That’s it, he’s good now!” Tony rambled frantically. He knew exactly where this was going, and he hated himself for not thinking about this before.

“Oh… I’m not done with him yet,” Toomes laughed. He slowly turned and loomed himself over the kid as he cowered fearfully on the floor, his head held tightly between his arms.

“W- Wait. No! Please! Strike me instead! I don’t care! JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!!” With those words, Tony had reached out at Toomes in attempt to defend the boy and the man whipped his cattle prod back violently, hitting Tony hard in the face with it as it lit up. Tony screamed in pain as he fell back onto the floor, one hand holding his throbbing cheek. “Please,” he whimpered. “Don’t hurt him.” At the sound of Tony being struck, Peter had managed to pull his head out from between his arms, looking up at Toomes in fear. His mind was completely blank. He had no clue what was going on… who these people were… All he knew was that he was terrified, and he hurt… badly. And with this man he heard defend him, now squirming on the floor in agony, Peter knew to stay away from the man with the weapon who stood towering above him. Toomes turned and faced him now and Peter quivered in fear. If the eager look on the man’s face was any sign, he knew he was in trouble.

“What do ya say, Pete? Should we have some more fun?” He said as he lowered the cattle prod towards the kid. Peter immediately scrambled away as best he could, his mind too muddled to form any words. He put one hand up in an attempt to protect himself as he tried to scoot away. Toomes just found it entertaining. He laughed as he slowly followed the boy, one foot after the other. Peter jolted as his back hit the wall and he pushed himself as tightly into the corner as he possibly could. Toomes loomed over him once more and Peter’s eyes looked up at him, flooded with terror. Tony watched helplessly from afar as the threatening sparks of electricity reflected vividly in the kid’s teary eyes.

“No… Please,” he whispered. Toomes laughed maliciously and stabbed the pronged weapon into Peter’s stomach as hard as he possible could. Peter screamed loudly at first but as the weapon held him against the wall minute after minute, his voice gave out and fought tirelessly. Toomes only laughed and pressed harder. Peter couldn’t breathe, the current forcing his body against him. His mind went blank once again before suddenly, his eyes flew open as memories flooded back. They flashed quickly in his head, one after another, until he found himself no longer forced up against a wall howling in pain but instead, sitting in the lab back at the Avenger’s compound. He and Tony sat there on the couch together, enjoying some pizza in their down time. Peter watched the recent memory play through before his eyes like a movie, watching from the sidelines as his heart filled with love. Here, in this one moment, Peter felt so inexplicably happy… So loved… So safe. He missed it dearly. A single tear fled down his cheek as he took in every detail. He smelled the delicious pizza, he heard their shared laughter, he saw the gentle nudge Tony gave him as he smiled at one of his stupid jokes… and he felt the swell of love in his heart. It reminded him of everything he’d been fighting for from the very beginning. His purpose, his drive to keep coming back all revolved around that one thing: love. His love for Tony, May, Ned, and MJ… His love for the people of New York. That was what led him to become Spider-Man in the first place… to bring love, safety, comfort to people who needed it most.

And just like that, the memory before him disappeared and he was back to fighting for his life against a vicious current of electricity. The pain came rushing back… but so did his desire to fight. For now, he had been reminded of _why_ he fights. Why he _always keeps fighting._ The world needed their Spider-Man… and _his_ world needed Peter Parker. With his eyes staring straight ahead, a whole new fire lit inside him and sparks filled those chocolate irises like never before. He moved quick with the added adrenaline and yanked the cattle prod out of Toomes’ hands, throwing it far across the room. He wasted not a single moment and struck the man right in the face with an iron fist. Toomes fell backwards but caught his balance. Immediate shock filled his eyes as he looked back at Peter, one hand held gingerly to his now bleeding nose. And Tony took in the sight before him like he’d never seen something so beautiful, a proud smile growing on his face. There, Peter stood bravely. He didn’t waver. He didn’t wobble. He stood tall, his held high with newfound determination. He didn’t speak a word but his glare said it all. And Toomes… looked terrified. Peter’s eyes suddenly darted to the cattle prod lying stagnant against the wall by the door and Toomes’ gaze followed. All three of them raced each other to the weapon, but Toomes dove and caught it first. He took no chances and immediately turned on his two captives. Anger evident in his every move, he turned towards Peter.

“YOU’LL REGRET THAT, BRAT!” He yelled as he quickly left the room, the door slammed shut behind him. The minute the door had shut, Peter’s strong façade crumbled and he collapsed to his knees like a sack of flour.

“Oh, God, Peter!” Tony cried as he caught the kid in his arms. “I’ve got you; I’ve got you. You’re alright, kid.” The two of them took deep breaths, just happy to be in each other’s warm embrace. Peter had so little strength left in him, he couldn't even lift an arm to wrap himself around his father. He just rested his chin on the man’s shoulder as he did everything he could to breathe and stay awake. “That was incredible, Pete!! I am so damn proud of you; you have no idea!! God, you’re so strong, bud. You’re so brave. I could’ve never done what you just did,” Tony rambled. He cried as hard as ever as he squeezed his frail son’s form tightly to him. He let out a nervous laugh. “I can’t believe you did that, Pete!! That was beyond anything I’d ever seen! Where did that even come from, huh?” He asked playfully as he pulled the kid away from him. He tried to look him in the eyes but Peter’s barely fluttered open. The man held his son’s head in his hands, rubbing both thumbs gently over his pale cheeks. He tried desperately to get Peter to look at him, as he fought unconsciousness.

“Hey, hey, Pete… Look at me. Okay? Just look at me, bud.” He shook Peter’s head gently in his hands. “I am SO. PROUD. OF YOU.” He pronounced every word as clearly as possible and Peter gave a small, tired smile in response. “You did good, kid. You did so good. I’m so proud.” He pulled Peter back into his arms and let him fall limp against him. The boy nuzzled his head into his father’s warm neck. “Go ahead and sleep bud… You earned it. I’ll be right here with you the whole time.” Tony should’ve known not to say those words as he had spoken too soon. Just then, the door to their room flew open again and Tony jumped, his hold immediately tightening around his son. Toomes had returned with his two men and stood ominously in the doorway.

“GUESS WHO!” He yelled excitedly.

“No. No, please,” Tony muttered.

“I told the brat he’d pay for his little stunt!” He gestured to his two guys beside him. “Put him in the chamber.” The two men immediately followed command and as always, Tony fought tooth and nail. But they cruelly dragged Peter away once more and threw him non-too-gently into the glass chamber. Tony flailed on the concrete, begging on his knees.

“Wh- What’re you going to do? Please, don’t hurt him! I’m sorry! Punish me! Do whatever you want to me, just PLEASE DON’T HURT HIM ANYMORE!” He sobbed, literally bowing at Toomes’ feet.

“I like seeing you beg, Stark. It’s a good look on you,” he smiled. “I guess I’ll have some mercy on you for now… The kid stays in the chamber ‘til morning,” He turned to his two goons. “Turn the lights off and make sure that door is locked,” he gestured to the chamber. He spoke over his shoulder at Tony as he walked out the door and his men followed their orders. “Enjoy your last night with your son, Stark. Alone. In the dark…. He dies tomorrow. On the table or after, doesn’t matter… Have a nice night, you two!”

“No- Wait, PLEASE!” Tony cried out. Toomes slammed the door shut… and the room was enveloped in complete darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain hates my eyes for reading this... AND I'M THE ONE WHO WROTE IT. 
> 
> I hope ya'll are prepared for next chapter because I know I'm not. 
> 
> Hang in there!


	14. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys... HERE IT IS! This is the chapter I literally wrote this entire story for. Remember, this is by far the most graphic chapter yet so PLEASE BE CAREFUL. If you think anything mentioned in the tags could be triggering for you, I HIGHLY recommend you skip this chapter. 
> 
> That being said, this chapter is much bigger and JUICIER than all the previous ones so get excited! We still have a good bit of the story left so don't take off just yet. ;) This is where things really start to get interesting. ;) 
> 
> Also, an ENORMOUS thank you to everyone who's been commenting and supporting this fic, I really had no clue I'd get such a welcome reaction and I can't even express how much I appreciate it! 
> 
> Stay angsty babies! And bring the tissues!

Tony knelt there, head down, facing the door, where the last sliver of light had just been snuffed out. The sudden lack of anything and everything sent Tony’s anxiety through the roof. This was the first time the lights had been shut off since they’d first woken up here. He didn’t realize how much of a comfort that one necessity had been. Tony struggled as he tried his best not to panic. It was just so quiet, too quiet… And suddenly, his eager ears picked up on a very faint banging coming from behind him. He gasped.

“Oh, no… PETER!!” The man couldn’t see a single thing, not even his own hands out in front of him as he darted towards where the banging had come from. His hands met glass and he knelt down on the ground, where he knew Peter would be. The damned glass was soundproof too, of course, so Tony couldn’t even try to comfort the boy with his words. But he couldn’t keep himself from muttering them anyway. “Pete, hey… Hey, can you hear me, buddy? I- I don’t know if you can. I can’t hear you, but… I’m right here, okay? I’m right here, I promise. I hope you can at least see me with those super eyes of yours…” The man leaned against the glass, desperately trying to send his warmth to the boy on the other side.

Inside the glass chamber, Peter cried. He could sense Tony’s presence just beyond the glass as they both eagerly tapped back and forth. The kid couldn’t even make out a silhouette of the man straight in front of his eyes, which he knew wasn’t good. He didn’t know if it was because of the drug invading his system still or just his deteriorating health, but it terrified him nonetheless; to have even that one comfort stolen from him. Peter had managed to sit himself up in his fight to make contact with his father. He sat there and pressed his forehead up against the glass as tears fell endlessly, his resolve falling to pieces yet again. Peter knew his time was running short… He could feel his body giving out on him little by little. Honestly, if it weren’t for the sudden flood of memories motivating him earlier… He probably would’ve died then and there. He knew his luck would run out soon… It was a miracle by all definitions that he had even made it this far. If someone didn’t find them by the next time that door opened… He was a dead man walking. He sobbed against the glass as he felt Tony smacking at it helplessly. He pressed his palm there, just beside his head and he could swear he could feel his father doing the same. He hoped that was the case… It was all they had.

“Dad…” He cried. “I- I’m so scared, Dad… I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer… Please, just- Don’t leave me, Dad. Don’t leave me.” The two of them sat there for hours on end, unknowingly mirroring each other as they sought comfort from beyond the glass keeping them apart. It was like a mutual knife to the heart. Especially after what Toomes had told Tony. These could very well be Peter’s last moments alive and he can’t even hold his boy in his arms. It was nothing but a cruel joke. The boy’s soft bumps on the glass had slowly dissipated, leaving Tony to fear the worst. He prayed that he had just fallen asleep… He needed all the rest he could possibly get for tomorrow.

Eventually… Dawn had arrived, and with it, an utter sense of dread. The only sign they had that a new day had started was the lights suddenly flickering to life above them. That one change startled Tony from his restless sleep, still facing the horrid glass. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of a conked-out Peter with his fingertips still placed against the glass directly opposite his. They were that close to each other the entire time and yet, it had felt like they were continents apart. Tony was slow to sit up, his body stiff and sore. With Peter still passed out, he took this moment to appreciate the fact that he was even still alive after last night. He watched eagerly as the kid’s prominent ribs moved up and down with every uneven breath. Peter’s furrowed brow was stuck in a constant fearful expression, a sheen of sweat visible on his pale skin. Peter was breathing really hard, his body unable to rest even for a moment. The closer Tony looked; the worse things got. Tony caught Peter’s nose scrunching with a tiny whimper every few seconds. The man couldn’t stand the sight of Peter in pain, but he fought with himself over the idea of waking him up since he so desperately needed the sleep. But with the way he was flinching, was he even getting any real rest? At the very least, he had to make sure Peter knew that his father never left his side, not even for a moment. So he gently knocked on the glass with his knuckles, hoping to wake Peter slowly rather than startle him.

“Pete… Hey, bud… It’s time to wake up,” Tony knocked a little harder at the lack of response and finally, Peter’s eyes slowly fluttered open. It took Peter a long few minutes to pull himself out of his slumber. He found himself fighting hard to keep his eyes open with every blink, his mind foggy and his head heavy. Once Peter finally recognized Tony looking in at him through the glass, his mind cleared just a little and a small smile reflected back at the man. It took an enormous amount of effort, but Peter managed to sit himself up and lean against the glass once more. He found his father mirroring him on the other side. His lips moved, but he heard no sound. Tears sprung to his eyes and he leaned his forehead next to his palm to meet Tony’s. At least now they could see each other and know they weren’t alone, only separated by mere inches of glass. The moment of peace was taken from them far too quickly as Toomes yet again stormed into the room.

“Hello boys. Have a nice night, did you?” The two barely even acknowledged him as he spoke, choosing instead to focus on each other. Their eyes met through the glass, a serious tone conveyed without words. “Bring it in,” he barked at his two aids. Tony turned around at that. Not a second later, the two men were wheeling in a large metal table with cuffs welded onto it for both the ankles and the wrists. Tony quickly whipped his eyes back to meet Peter’s as a single tear fell. The boy could feel the panic radiating off of his father even through the vibranium glass. He simply replied with a steady gaze of acceptance and solemn smile, hoping to bring some comfort to the man. Peter was terrified, of course, but his energy was completely spent. He knew there was no point in fighting what he couldn’t control. This was it. The final blow. The last game. The end of his suffering. Peter knew that even if he didn’t die during the operation, Toomes would just kill him afterwards. So the kid lowered his head with a sigh of relief. His only goal for today was to make sure Tony knew how much he loved him. He would hold on for as long as he could, just like he promised… But he knew that there was only one way this day would end. Peter looked up at Tony in this one last moment and mouthed the words silently through the glass with his hand still outstretched. _“_

_I… love… you.”_ He said it nice and slow to make sure his dad got the message. His attempt at comfort only made the man cry harder… and it hurt. However, the two of them were startled out of their silent conversation with Toomes’ next words.

“Bring him to me,” he commanded. Tony panicked harder than ever before.

“W- Wait, wait. No! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! JUST LET ME HOLD HIM, PLEASE!! DON’T DO THIS!! PETER!!” The man fought with everything he had left, but against the one aid, he couldn’t do anything but watch as the other heaved Peter up without a problem. The kid was like a limp ragdoll in the enemy’s arms, unable to move even if he tried. The entire way to the table, Peter didn’t say a word or even mutter a single sound. The only sound in the room was Tony’s horrendous cries reverberating off the vibranium walls. “PETER!! DON’T DO THIS, PLEASE!! DON’T DO THIS!! PETER, I LOVE YOU!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! Peter didn’t fight. He laid there perfectly still on the metal table as all four cuffs locked shut at once. He slowly turned his head sideways to look his father in the eyes one last time. A single tear dripped over his nose and onto the table like it too, wanted to escape the hell to come. His left hand outstretched towards Tony in a silent plea for comfort. He just wanted to be held as he went. But even that was too much to ask for. Tony collapsed to his knees, his arms still held tightly behind him as he broke at his son’s sad gesture.

“Peter…” He cried. His lips tried to form the words to comfort the boy, but he couldn’t do it. No sound came out. Even Tony felt the hopelessness in the air as a large metal cart was wheeled in and placed beside the table. Where Tony was being held on Peter’s left side, the cart and Toomes stood beside him on his right. It was then that Peter tore his eyes away from Tony slowly, and sucked in one shaky, deep breath as he stared straight up at the ceiling. Tears slipped past his burned temples, wetting his ears as they pooled on the table. Peter refused to turn his head and see the cart full of deadly tools left there to intimidate him as he awaited what was to come. He fought so hard not to panic right then and there, for his father’s sake. He didn’t want his last memory of him to be tainted by fear… Though he knew the odds of that not happening anyway where slim to none. He promised he would keep fighting… He would stay strong… Until the very end.

“You can put him in his chair,” Toomes barked at the man holding Tony back. The table was placed directly in between the two vibranium chairs, so Tony would be kept front and center. With Tony now cuffed in his seat, he could only look slightly up at his son on the table, just a few feet away from him; the table being just above his eye level. It was just another way for Toomes to taunt him and he hated it. “Alright everyone, get comfy! …We’re gonna be here a while.” He said with a smile as he picked up the small handsaw. The devilish tool revved to life and Peter immediately found it hard to breathe. Toomes slowly lowered the saw towards his chest, and Tony screamed endless pleas. Peter still couldn’t take his eyes off their spot on the ceiling as he sobbed relentlessly. He clenched his eyes shut tight last minute and put his all into blocking out every sound around him. His father’s screams, his own cries, and the blade hovering just above his exposed sternum.

Within the blink of an eye, Peter was screaming. The saw’s jagged blade pierced Peter just under his collarbone, smack in the center of his chest. Slowly, with every added inch another minute off Peter’s lifespan, Toomes dragged the vicious blade straight down, through the entirety of Peter’s chest plate. Tony’s sensitive ears heard the disgusting **_CRACK_** of the clean cut and the man fought back the urge to vomit. He had slammed his eyes shut tight the minute Peter started screaming, louder than he even thought possible for the small boy. He couldn’t watch this. He refused. He already couldn’t forgive himself for the things he’d seen leading up to now… But this; this was worse than anything even his worst nightmares could’ve conjured up. This was it. The moment they both feared the most. The dreaded grand finale even Peter admitted he was terrified of. And in that moment, the sound of Toomes carving into Peter like a lamb for slaughter making Tony’s ears bleed, he knew… He had finally allowed himself to come to terms with the one fact they had both fought so hard to refuse… Peter was going to die here. Right now. This was it. There was no going back. There was no last-minute rescue. There would be nothing left of Peter after today. No hope after today. There was simply no way Peter could survive this… And they both knew it. They had known it all along.

Toomes continued without hesitation, bringing the saw up to Peter’s right shoulder and cutting slowly towards where he’d started in the center of Peter’s sternum. He immediately repeated the same process on the kid’s other side. Peter’s screams began to break, letting loose long, guttural howls one after another with scattered gasps in between as he struggled to breathe through the immense pain. Toomes slowly lifted the deadly weapon out of the center of Peter’s chest, grinning ear to ear as every jagged tooth tore at his skin on the way out with a sickening **_SHLUCK_**. Peter let himself fall limp onto the table at the blade’s release. He had forced himself to escape into the furthest depths of his mind, focusing solely on fighting to breathe. If he let himself be present in the moment, he was done for without a doubt. So let himself dissociate, keeping his eyes stuck on the ceiling. Soon enough, his body was but an empty shell of the kid he once was. His consciousness had completely fled, doing the only thing it possibly could to protect itself. That was the moment Peter had stopped making a sound. The only thing signaling to Tony that the kid was even still alive were the heavy, staggered breaths as Toomes horrifically sliced him open. No matter how many revolting sounds reached his ears, no matter how many torturous images plagued Tony’s imagination, he refused to open his eyes. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Watching his son be torn apart before his eyes would be his own death sentence. So the father did everything he could, every muscle shaking to the core, as he tightly held his head down. He didn’t even bother holding back the heart-stopping sobs that escaped him.

Toomes leaned away from his creation like he was admiring a prized work of art… Peter’s pale, exposed chest had been mutilated into the bloodied shape of the letter “Y.” As the man continued, his smile never fading; he slowly sliced away at Peter’s skin with a scalpel until he had both sides of the kid’s chest pried wide open. He pinned both sides down with thumbtacks and used a large clamp to separate the two pieces of Peter’s split chest plate. Toomes stepped back for a moment and took a deep breath, admiring his work. He analyzed every gory detail of Peter’s dying insides and released a booming laugh.

“Whoa… Stark… If only you could see this. Your kid really is something else, I’ll give you that.” Peter laid there; frozen, numb, empty. His lungs quivered under the chill of the exposure and Toomes’ gleeful stare. The man’s villainous gaze drifted from one organ to another with a pleased glow to his expression. From the stuttering lungs fighting so hard to keep functioning to the rapidly beating heart and failing liver surrounded by sharp, broken ribs… Peter’s body was in pieces before the man. Toomes’ unwelcome hands already covered in blood grew antsy and his fingers danced over the kid’s vulnerable anatomy. Tony could hear what sounded like a steady stream of water flooding off the table… though his shattered heart knew it wasn’t water at all. Toomes playfully poked at one of Peter’s struggling lungs, in complete awe of it’s refusal to give up. But what pleased him the most was what so ghastly decorated the entirety of Peter’s innards… that thick black goop that he had previously seen the kid coughing up. “Gee… No wonder the kid’s dying. These insides look those of a black hole.” He laughed aloud. With a body like this… I’m very impressed, Stark. Your kid really is one hell of a fighter, I won’t lie. I knew things were bad in here, but _DAMN_. I’m surprised this kid’s still kickin’ honestly,” he said excitedly. “What do you think, should we give him a medal?”

Tony didn’t say a word. But as Toomes concluded his giddy rambling, the father’s ears picked up on a sudden lack of sound. His eyes flew open, but he still didn’t look. He realized then… he could no longer hear Peter’s breath sounds. Without them even realizing, Peter’s fight was quickly coming to an end.

“Oh shit… Looks like I spoke too soon.” Toomes laughed as he, too, realized the sudden absence of movement from Peter’s lungs. Tony still refused to look as Toomes continued his teasing. “Ohhh… would ya look at that? Isn’t that a beautiful sight? …His heart’s failing too. Ugh, but it’s fighting so hard. I almost feel bad for the little guy…” He tilted his head with a mock frown. “Ah, but he put up a damn good fight, didn’t he? Talk about a show! I definitely got a good run for my money, that’s for sure.”

Tony’s ears picked up on something else. The once steady flow of blood leaking onto the floor was now falling to a slow drip. Each audible drop was like another knife to the father’s heart.

“Oh, Oh OH! …There it goes! Are you done already, little buddy?” Toomes teased as he watched Peter’s heart slowly beat to a halt. The entire room fell eerily silent, so much so that you could hear a pin drop from a mile away… or in this case, blood drops. They fell loud on Tony’s ears as the man slowly raised his head. Everyone stood stock still as Toomes waited to see if Peter’s heart would beat once more. Seconds ticked by… Tony could no longer stop himself from looking up at his broken boy, and for that… he would never forgive himself.

“Damn… That didn’t take long, did it? What a bummer… Ah well, I guess that’s it then,” Toomes announced as he loomed one last time over Peter’s lifeless form. He reached for a rag from the metal cart and whipped his hands clean. “I’ll leave you two to clean this up,” He gesture to his two men who stood behind Tony. “We’re done here. Once you’re finished, dispose of the body... Just as I've instructed... I’ve had my fun… Oh and uhh… Get rid of him while you’re at it,” He nodded at Tony, admiring the man’s frozen stare at the child. “I don’t care how you do it, just make sure he stay’s alive in the meantime.” He turns towards Tony this time. “Sorry Dad, Peter’s suffering may have ended… but yours is only just beginning. Goodbye, Stark.” And Toomes walked out of the vibranium room one last time, the door falling shut behind him with a slam.

Tony didn’t care for a word that was said once his eyes had found the still form of his son laid before him. His gaze remained locked on his innocent boy, his chest left exposed to the world, dark blood drenched every inch of Peter’s torso. He cried silently as he found Peter’s scared eyes still staring straight up at the ceiling. But what really drove the knife in deeper was Peter’s left hand… left palm-up, hanging limply just off the edge of the table… reached out directly towards Tony… dripping blood. Peter was torn to bits and he fought every second of it… and Tony couldn’t even hold his hand. And just like that, everything that remained of the man shattered in an instant and Tony sobbed. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he failed to notice one crucial detail. He wasn’t alone. With Tony completely unaware; the two men left behind to clean up Toomes’ mess shared a sorrowful glance. They moved slowly; one tending to Peter and one tending to the mess. They paid no mind to the father that remained, focused entirely on the task at hand. The room was deathly quiet other than the horrendous sounds of Tony’s sobs. The one man taking care of Peter took the liberty of stitching up his broken chest; as carefully and respectfully as possible. Tony had his head down the entire time, his mind drowning in sorrow. Once the other had cleaned up what he could of the mess, the two men nodded at each other. The one who had Peter gently lifted him off the table as the cuffs flew open and held him in a bridal carry. The other released Tony from his cuffs as well and gently coaxed the man out of the room. Tony was completely out of it until he realized the two were heading in opposing directions. And suddenly, Tony snapped.

“HEY!! WAIT!! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM?! DON’T TAKE HIM, PLEASE!!” He cried, his voice echoing off the halls. “I DIDN’T GET TO SAY GOODBYE!! PLEASE!! PETER! DON’T GO!!” As he fought with the man leading him away, his grip on Tony tightened but not in anger. Tony felt it before he heard it… the low whisper in his ear. It was calm but came with a tone of urgency.

“Stark. Stop. Listen to me… Your kid is still alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Queue evil villain laugh*
> 
> Bet you didn't see that coming.


	15. Hanging in the Balance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... Again, sorry for the random hiatus. My portfolio comes first haha. :) BUT, this may or may not be the FINAL chapter of this incredible story. (I did NOT intend for this fic to get as big as it has lmao). But I'll leave it up to you guys to decide! Please comment and let me know your thoughts! Seriously, ya'll's comments are what keep me going. So THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Should I continue with this story or end it here? A sequel perhaps? Cuz I mean, we still have a lot of questions needing answers. Anyway, can't wait to hear what you guys think! This chapter was almost double the length of my usual chapters, so I think it's safe to say this could be the grand finale. ;) ENJOY!

Tony suddenly froze on the spot, speechless at the mere idea of Peter still being alive. The man guiding him down the hallway practically tripped on him but nudged them foreward, nonetheless.

“My buddy has directions to follow in how he disposes of the body, but I can promise you, he won’t hurt him any further. I don’t know where he’ll take him or if Toomes even knows, but one thing’s for sure… If you can find him in time, you may still have a chance to save him.” Tony looked completely shocked as he whipped his head towards the man. The man tightened his grip once more. “Shh, don’t make any sudden movements, don’t give away your reaction, there are still cameras everywhere,” he muttered. “I am going to drop you off somewhere public so you can be found faster… I’m sorry I can’t do more. And for what it’s worth, I truly am sorry for what Toomes has done. I have seen the good Spider-Man has done and if I had known what I was getting into when I made that stupid deal with Toomes to get out of prison, I never would’ve left. I would’ve rather spent the rest of my days in prison than have seen what he did to that poor kid. But Toomes threatened to kill us if we so much as stepped foot outside of this place. We’ve been as much of prisoners here as you two. I am… so very sorry. But now you have a chance! You can get out of here, and you can send the cops our way, and you can find your boy! Please, Stark. My buddy and I will gladly pay for our sins but Toomes should too. I only hope you can get to the boy in time. Once we’re in the van, we can talk freely,” he whispered as they left the building approaching a large white van. Tony yelled the instant the doors to the van had shut,

“You were on our side the whole damn time?!”

“Yes.”

“But- wait, wait, wait… I still don’t understand. How do you know Peter’s still alive when Toomes, himself, watched his heart stop?” The man nodded in thought.

“I didn’t know for sure, but both of us has suspected from the start that the drug Toomes had injected the kid with didn’t actually stop his healing, it just slowed it down dramatically… to the point where it couldn’t keep up with the amount of damage being done to his body. But… given enough time… he should start to heal again soon. Our suspicions were confirmed when we started cleaning him up. My buddy took his time stitching the kid’s chest just so he could check for himself if his heart had stopped. It took some time… but there was still a beat. See… his pulse was there, but it was so faint that there was no way any normal human being could survive on such a slow heartrate. Any normal person’s heart would’ve given out by that point. But his hadn’t. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“Yeah, yeah, I think I do… So you’re saying that Peter’s enhanced healing was slowed to the point that it was unnoticeable BUT it was still enough to keep him alive?”

“Yup, that’s why the kid looked dead when we walked in. His heart was beating so slowly that his breaths couldn’t even be noticed…Think about it, it’s like the body’s last line of defense. His own heart had slowed almost to the point of hibernation. But I promise you… he was still breathing when we checked him over.”

“Yeah… Yeah, you could be right. I never even realized. All this time I thought his body was giving out… but it turns out, it just wasn’t given enough of a chance to heal.”

“Exactly. But you have to remember, though his wounds may heal, and the drug may not have done as much damage as we thought, his body is still rejecting it and he still has that horrid infection running it’s course. His healing may give him more time, but there’s still no guarantee he’ll survive for much longer. I will get you somewhere safe but it’s up to you to save the boy.”

“I understand… Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. I will find Peter… and Toomes WILL PAY.”

“Good. Now, I can’t stay. If Toomes even suspects that I might’ve done something to expose him, he’ll kill my friend. So I have to get back as soon as possible. From here on out, it’s in your hands, Stark. Good luck.” Tony was dropped off at a local gas station where he asked to use a phone and called for the avengers. They came to pick him up and Tony explained everything to them in full detail.

“Hang on- Hang on… So you mean to tell me this Spider-Man is like your long lost kid? A- And all this was just some kind of crazy scheme Bird-Man came up with after the kid’s disastrous Homecoming dance?” asked Clint in confusion.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Sam retorted.

“No- No. Do I look like I’m joking to you? Ugh, you’ve got it all wrong,” He sighed in frustration. “Look, we can discuss details later, we don’t have time for this! Peter’s still out there and-,” Steve interrupted.

“Peter?” “YES, PETER! MY KID! Can we focus, please?!” Tony sighed again as his frustration grew. “Peter Parker, Spider-Man, MY SON is out there right now barely clinging onto life and I don’t even know where to begin looking for him!” Tony’s voice started to break as the dire situation shone through his teary eyes. “Please, guys… I am begging you here. He needs me. He needs _us_. So please… Help me find my son.” Tears poured from the mechanic’s eyes and the entire team stood before him shaken to the core. Steve, Clint, Natasha, Wanda, Vision, Sam, Rhodey, and Bruce all shared worried glances at their teammate’s broken resolve. They had never seen him with this look on his face before. Finally, Steve stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Tony’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Stark. We’ll find him.” That was all the queue they needed. The captain immediately jumped into leader mentality as he lead the way into the jet. “We can use the tech onboard to scan nearby areas. I’m sure they couldn’t have gone far.” The crew still has no clue where Peter could be but Tony does remember the drive from where they were being held. So that’s where they decided to check first. They scoured the building from top to bottom and found no one, not even Toomes. From there they searched their entire surroundings, but there was nothing but forest. Eventually they came across a large clearing in the trees where they spot some movement at a large cliff. F.R.I.D.A.Y. identifies the movement as not two but three people, and they immediately take to the ground.

“It’s him. It’s Peter. It’s gotta be.” Tony says, looking out the window at the clearing below. “I’m coming, buddy. Just hang on a little longer…” He mutters aloud. Then just as the jet touches solid ground, Wanda lets out an ear-shattering scream.

“Whoa- Whoa- WHOA! Wanda, what is it?! What’s wrong?!” Clint panics as he catches her. She pants, tears springing from her eyes,

“It must be him… The boy…” She looks at Tony, sorrow in her gaze. “Something’s happening… I can feel it…. There’s so much pain.” Wanda sobs as she collapses to the floor, holding her head tightly in her hands. “I’ve never experienced anything like this,” she cries. “His cries are so _loud_!” Wanda lets out another guttural scream as if to reflect what Tony knew was Peter’s own. He couldn’t wait another second. Tony slammed his hand on the button to open up the hatch to the quinjet. Throwing all caution to the wind, the father sprung forth and darted into the woods as fast as he could.

“Tony, wait!! What about Wanda?! We can’t just leave her!! TONY!!” Steve yelled after Tony as he quickly disappeared into the trees, his words falling on deaf ears. “Damnit,” he sighed. Wanda’s agonizing cries only grew louder. “Okay… Natasha, Sam, Rhodey… You guys come with me. We’ll go after Stark and the kid.” He looked to the others remaining. “Bruce, Vision, Clint, you guys stay behind with Wanda and prepare medical.” Everyone nodded as they were assigned their roles. “Let’s go.”

_...Meanwhile…._

Toomes escorts the man carrying Peter’s body to a large cliff close by. The man begins to worry for the kid in his arms as he can sense where this is going. “Well… What’re you waiting for? Get rid of him,” Toomes commands.

“But sir, don’t you think this is a little unnecessary?” He hesitates.

“What? He’s already dead. Just get rid of it already,” his voice elevates in frustration. The man simply turns and meets Toomes’ gaze with a worrisome look. Toomes glares in a return. “He is dead… right?” The man doesn’t respond. “Give him to me then, I’ll do it myself.” The man slowly bends down and lowers the kid to the ground, whispering in his ear,

“I hope you’re ready to fight kid.” Toomes either didn’t catch his whispers or didn’t care to respond. Either way, he quickly approached Peter and went to grab him by the throat, when suddenly-

“I don’t think so asshole.” Peter’s eyes flew open and a synchronized hand stopped Toomes in his tracks. Though Peter was still very weak, he had gained enough of his strength back to fend off his attacker. The quick action took Toomes by complete surprise and his arm shook in Peter’s grip.

“What the- Get off me! Let go you stupid brat! HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?” With the added adrenaline rush, Peter used his grip on Toomes’ arm to yank him forward and land a punch to the face. He then rolled quickly to the side and crouched in his signature stance.

“Isn’t it obvious? …I’m Spider-Man,” he panted. Toomes recovered from his hit to the face and growled at the kid in front of him.

“I can’t believe this shit. What the hell do I have to do to squash a damn spider?! And you,” he turned to the goon standing on the sidelines. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. You’ll pay for this! I’ll kill you!” The man simply cowered in response. Without taking his eyes off Toomes, Peter yelled to the man behind him.

“It’s okay! Get out of here! Go! This is my fight.” The man sent a worried glance to the kid in a moment’s hesitation before darting off into the woods. He mumbled to himself as he ran,

“You can do it Spider-Man.” And suddenly, chaos ensued. The two charged at each other, voices raised in anger. With every hit Toomes would get on the kid, Peter would hit right back. He seemed to be holding up fairly well, all things considered. But his energy wouldn’t hold out long as he could already feel it wavering. As Toomes tried to climb on top of him, Peter kicked the man in the jaw and tried to get away as quick as he could. And still, he wasn’t quick enough. Toomes grabbed him by the ankle and Peter smacked his face into the ground with an audible crack as he tripped. He could already feel the blood gushing from his now broken nose along with all his previous wounds reopening in his fight for life. Toomes didn’t hesitate to jump back on top of Peter after he swung the boy around to face him and went directly for his throat. The man’s speed shocked Peter and his body was too slow to react. With his strength depleting by the second, Peter could only pull weakly at the man’s hands tightening around his throat. Struggled gasps escaped him as he fought to breathe and his attempts at freedom grew more desperate. He tried slapping Toomes in the arms and face, but the man was not giving up. The kid arched his back off the ground, digging his heels into the dirt as a last resort. He could feel his body betraying him as fingers tightened around his airway. His vision blurred and he fought to stay awake. He muttered broken pleas to the best of his ability, his teary eyes staring straight at the man above him. Just as his body was about to give out, his gaze fell to the tree line where he just barely caught a sudden blur of movement heading their way. Black swarmed his vision as Peter could swear he heard someone call his name. But it was foggy, far off in the distance. _“_

_Is this it? …I never felt this all those other times… Is this what dying feels like?”_ He thought to himself as the fight left his body. Then suddenly, everything seemed to happen all at once, too fast for Peter to comprehend. A massive force collided with the man holding him down and he was finally able to suck in desperate breaths and cough from the strain on his bruised airway. With consciousness slowly coming back to him, his vision clearing, Peter finally recognized the blur quarrelling with Toomes as Tony… his father. The kid’s spirits immediately lifted, and a faint smile ghosted his rosy cheeks.

“Peter, run!! Find the team!! They’re on their way! Get out of here kid! Go! I’ve got this!” Tony scrambled as he pleaded for Peter to escape while he could. But whatever energy Peter had before was now gone and the kid could barely move. He simply watched his father fight with Toomes as his eyes grew watery at his inability to help. Peter’s mind fought to remain conscious as he observed what little of the fight he could. It wasn’t going well. Toomes had managed to get atop Tony now and was whipping his father’s head hard into the ground.

“No… Dad,” Peter whispered. With darkness overcoming him once more, Peter summoned whatever courage he had left and drug himself off the ground one last time. He stumbled and fell to his knees more than once but managed to pummel into Toomes yet again. Now it was Tony who fought to remain conscious with his head throbbing in return.

“No… Peter. Don’t,” he muttered.

“Oh THAT IS IT,” Toomes yelled as he charged at Peter. The two met each other’s forces with their hands clasped as they fought.

“I’ve had enough of you, spider. It’s time we FINISH THIS.” With Toomes’ ever-increasing rage, Peter was quickly losing his battle to ward off the man. Toomes overpowered him as he pushed the kid closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. The kid screamed as one foot slipped off the edge and he teetered in place.

“No! Peter!” Tony screamed. Before he could risk himself falling over, Toomes stopped short and pushed Peter away from him. Peter didn’t even get the chance to make a sound as he silently gasped at his sudden loss of footing and ground beneath his feet. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he saw himself fall from the cliff face. He heard Tony screaming for him in the background but could do nothing in response. Somehow though, Peter managed to grab hold of a ledge a little way down the cliff and hung on for dear life. He yelled in agony at the yank on his already wounded arm, his entire bodyweight relying on the injured limb. “PETER!!!” He heard Tony yell.

“DAD!!!” At the sound of Peter’s still very alive voice, Tony immediately jumped into action and shoved Toomes away as hard as he could. Tony’s entire focus was on saving his son.

“PETER!!” He cried.

“DAD!! Help!! I can’t hold on much longer!!” Peter only had one hand on the very small ledge keeping from certain death. With his right hand holding on, he swung his other arm up repeatedly trying to grab further purchase.

“HOLD ON PETER!! _“Where the FUCK is the team?!”_ Tony lowered himself over the ledge as far as he possibly could, his entire upper half hanging off the cliff as he reached desperately for his son. “Come on, Peter. Come on, kid. You gotta reach!” The man broke into a sweat and he watched as the drops fled past his son as he dangled and disappeared into the chasm below. Peter cried, fear present in his voice.

“I can’t! I can’t get a grip!” He kicked his feet hopelessly trying to lift himself further, pebbles crumbling from the surface. The two stretched as far as they could, their fingertips just inches away from touching. “Dad!” Peter gasped

“Peter! Please! Just... a little… further,” Tony pleaded, “You can do it, son!” Their fingers touched. And then suddenly, Tony was choking. Toomes had jumped onto his back and wrapped his belt around Tony’s neck in a second attempt at killing both him and the kid. Tony fought between using his one hand to keep his hold on the cliff while his other desperately reached out for Peter, and bringing it up to pull at the belt suffocating him. The more Tony struggled to breathe, the harder it became for him to focus on Peter. The kid could only watch his father be strangled from above him, his face turning purple at the lack of oxygen. He wondered if he should just let go now so his father could focus on saving himself. From the way things were looking, he knew Tony couldn’t save them both. With his arm still reached towards his father, Peter cried.

“Dad…” He didn’t know what to do. Then, out of nowhere, a sudden blur of red and blue whipped Toomes off of Tony. Steve had run up behind him and used his shield to knock him unconscious. Tony didn’t hesitate to suck in major gasps of air and lean even further towards Peter. Just as the ledge he dangled from began to crack and give way, Peter threw his arm up in a last-ditch effort to reach Tony. And finally, it seemed, their luck may have turned for the better.

“YES!! Oh, Peter! Oh, thank God!” The two locked onto each other in an iron grip as Tony struggled to pull Peter to the edge of the cliff. “That’s it, kid. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go; I promise.” Peter swung his freed arm up to help pull himself up. The two grunted in unison as Peter struggled to find purchase on the ledge. “Almost there, buddy. Almost there.” With one last heave, Peter was yet again wrapped tightly in Tony’s embrace and the two visibly breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. It was all over. They made it. “You did it, kid!! You did it!! I told you we’d make it out of there, didn’t I?! I told you!!” He pulled back and grabbed Peter’s head in his hands. “Ugh, I AM SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU, PETER! I knew you could do it! I never doubted you for a second!” Though Peter had exhausted every last ounce of his energy, he flashed a sincere smile and a small chuckle for the first time in what like felt like forever. The two simply touched foreheads, sharing matching smiles and tears of joy as they silently celebrated their victory. “That’s it, kid. You’ve reached your allowance… No more dying on my watch, you got it? No more. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever let you leave my side again. You’re stuck with me now. No take-backsies.” The two laughed wholeheartedly.

“That’s okay…I wouldn’t wanna return you anyway. You’re my dad after all. We’re a package deal,” Peter replied with a dopey smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to end it with some fluff. Our baby deserves a little shred of mercy, right?  
> Was this the ending you guys had planned?  
> Is it really over? Is Peter truly out of the woods?   
> But I was thinking about doing a sequel surrounding Peter's recovery and his developing relationship with the team! Thoughts? Let me know!  
> THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!


End file.
